Military personnel as a share of total population in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Military personnel as a share of total population was 0.2% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
0.2%
Change on year
down 40.3%
World rank
95th
of 194 countries
All-time high
1.8%
in 1999
All-time low
0.1%
in 2006
Years of data
98
1920–2022
Military personnel as a share of total population in Afghanistan, 1920–2022
Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 0.2% for military personnel as a share of total population in 2022.
That represents a change of down 40.3% on the previous year and down 57.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel as a share of total population in Afghanistan peaked at 1.8% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2006.
Afghanistan ranks 95th of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military personnel as a share of total population in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 0.9% | — |
| 1921 | 0.9% | -1.2% |
| 1922 | 0.9% | -1.2% |
| 1923 | 1.0% | +16.8% |
| 1924 | 1.0% | -1.2% |
| 1925 | 1.1% | +15.6% |
| 1926 | 1.1% | -1.2% |
| 1927 | 1.1% | -1.2% |
| 1928 | 0.9% | -22.0% |
| 1929 | 0.9% | -1.2% |
| 1930 | 0.8% | -1.2% |
| 1931 | 0.8% | -1.2% |
| 1932 | 0.8% | -1.2% |
| 1933 | 1.0% | +18.6% |
| 1934 | 0.6% | -38.2% |
| 1935 | 1.0% | +58.1% |
| 1936 | 1.4% | +41.4% |
| 1937 | 1.3% | -1.2% |
| 1938 | 1.3% | -1.2% |
| 1939 | 1.3% | -1.2% |
| 1940 | 0.8% | -42.4% |
| 1941 | 1.1% | +48.3% |
| 1942 | 1.1% | -1.2% |
| 1943 | 1.1% | -1.2% |
| 1944 | 1.1% | -1.2% |
| 1945 | 1.1% | -1.2% |
| 1946 | 1.1% | -1.2% |
| 1947 | 1.2% | +9.8% |
| 1948 | 1.0% | -11.0% |
| 1949 | 0.8% | -17.6% |
| 1950 | 0.8% | -1.2% |
| 1951 | 0.7% | -21.2% |
| 1952 | 0.6% | -1.6% |
| 1953 | 0.4% | -32.8% |
| 1954 | 0.4% | -1.7% |
| 1955 | 0.4% | +3.0% |
| 1956 | 0.4% | -1.9% |
| 1957 | 0.4% | -2.0% |
| 1958 | 0.4% | -2.0% |
| 1959 | 0.5% | +13.9% |
| 1960 | 0.6% | +17.4% |
| 1961 | 1.0% | +79.4% |
| 1962 | 0.9% | -7.5% |
| 1963 | 1.0% | +3.4% |
| 1964 | 0.9% | -0.5% |
| 1965 | 0.8% | -15.4% |
| 1966 | 0.8% | -2.3% |
| 1967 | 0.8% | -4.3% |
| 1968 | 0.7% | -8.5% |
| 1969 | 0.7% | -2.4% |
| 1970 | 0.7% | -0.3% |
| 1971 | 0.7% | -2.6% |
| 1972 | 0.6% | -2.6% |
| 1973 | 0.6% | -2.5% |
| 1974 | 0.5% | -14.1% |
| 1975 | 0.8% | +59.2% |
| 1976 | 0.9% | +7.3% |
| 1977 | 0.9% | -0.8% |
| 1978 | 0.7% | -23.9% |
| 1979 | 0.6% | -19.4% |
| 1980 | 0.3% | -51.5% |
| 1981 | 0.3% | +6.0% |
| 1982 | 0.4% | +24.7% |
| 1983 | 0.3% | -14.3% |
| 1984 | 0.3% | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 0.3% | +4.3% |
| 1986 | 0.3% | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 0.4% | +7.4% |
| 1988 | 0.4% | +10.0% |
| 1989 | 0.4% | -1.3% |
| 1990 | 0.4% | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 0.3% | -25.7% |
| 1992 | 0.3% | -5.4% |
| 1993 | 0.3% | -6.0% |
| 1994 | 0.2% | -6.2% |
| 1999 | 1.8% | +648.9% |
| 2000 | 1.8% | -3.5% |
| 2002 | 0.2% | -87.2% |
| 2003 | 0.3% | +15.3% |
| 2004 | 0.2% | -29.4% |
| 2005 | 0.1% | -40.7% |
| 2006 | 0.1% | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 0.2% | +80.1% |
| 2008 | 0.2% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 0.2% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | +73.0% |
| 2011 | 0.5% | +41.2% |
| 2012 | 0.6% | +22.7% |
| 2013 | 0.6% | +5.0% |
| 2014 | 0.6% | -5.7% |
| 2015 | 0.5% | -6.6% |
| 2016 | 0.5% | -12.4% |
| 2017 | 0.5% | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 0.5% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 0.5% | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 0.5% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 0.4% | -11.0% |
| 2022 | 0.2% | -40.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 1930s | 1.0% | 0.6% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 1940s | 1.0% | 0.8% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.8% | 0.6% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.5% | 0.2% | 1.8% | 6 |
| 2000s | 0.4% | 0.1% | 1.8% | 9 |
| 2010s | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More population data for Afghanistan
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2115 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.4637 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.2412 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.4637 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.4% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 9.03 million people (2100)
- Population density 199.65 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.4% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2522 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.39 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel as a share of total population in Afghanistan?
- Military personnel as a share of total population in Afghanistan was 0.2% in 2022, according to Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military personnel as a share of total population recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 1.8% in 1999.
- What is the lowest military personnel as a share of total population recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2006.
- How does Afghanistan rank for military personnel as a share of total population?
- Afghanistan ranks 95th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 57.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Ratio of military personnel to total population, expressed as a percentage.