Military personnel as a share of total population in Denmark

Denmark: Military personnel as a share of total population was 0.2541 in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
0.2541
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
92nd
of 194 countries
All-time high
2.9
in 1868
All-time low
0.2541
in 2022
Years of data
203
1816–2022

Military personnel as a share of total population in Denmark, 1816–2022

0123181619192022

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for military personnel as a share of total population in Denmark is 0.2541, measured in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 203 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 25.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military personnel as a share of total population in Denmark peaked at 2.9 in 1868 and was at its lowest, 0.2541, in 2022.

Denmark ranks 92nd 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 Denmark, year by year

Annual values for Military personnel as a share of total population in Denmark, 1816 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1816 1.82 —
1817 1.75 -3.9%
1818 1.68 -4.0%
1819 1.61 -4.1%
1820 1.54 -4.2%
1821 1.42 -7.9%
1822 1.52 +6.8%
1823 1.61 +6.3%
1824 2.18 +35.6%
1825 2.17 -0.8%
1826 2.15 -0.8%
1827 2.13 -0.8%
1828 2.11 -0.8%
1829 2.1 -0.8%
1830 2.08 -0.8%
1831 2.06 -0.8%
1832 2.05 -0.8%
1833 2.03 -0.8%
1834 1.62 -20.1%
1835 2 +23.3%
1836 1.98 -0.8%
1837 1.87 -5.6%
1838 1.76 -5.9%
1839 1.65 -6.2%
1840 2.11 +27.5%
1841 1.76 -16.3%
1842 1.43 -19.2%
1843 1.05 -26.5%
1844 1.08 +3.4%
1845 1.16 +7.3%
1846 1.2 +3.0%
1847 1.19 -0.8%
1848 1.18 -0.8%
1849 1.77 +50.5%
1850 1.11 -37.1%
1851 1.1 -1.1%
1852 1.09 -1.1%
1853 1.08 -1.1%
1854 1.06 -1.1%
1855 1.01 -4.9%
1856 1 -1.1%
1857 0.9909 -1.1%
1858 0.9804 -1.1%
1859 0.9701 -1.0%
1860 0.9597 -1.1%
1861 0.9495 -1.1%
1862 0.9391 -1.1%
1863 0.929 -1.1%
1864 1.86 +100.7%
1865 2.21 +18.6%
1866 2.5 +13.0%
1867 2.64 +5.7%
1868 2.9 +9.6%
1869 2.19 -24.4%
1870 2.18 -0.6%
1871 2.1 -3.6%
1872 2.14 +2.1%
1873 2.12 -1.1%
1874 2.1 -1.1%
1875 0.8556 -59.2%
1876 0.8466 -1.1%
1877 0.8333 -1.6%
1878 0.567 -32.0%
1879 0.3061 -46.0%
1880 0.303 -1.0%
1881 0.3015 -0.5%
1882 0.2985 -1.0%
1883 0.2956 -1.0%
1884 0.2927 -1.0%
1885 0.3846 +31.4%
1886 0.5238 +36.2%
1887 0.6604 +26.1%
1888 0.7944 +20.3%
1889 0.8333 +4.9%
1890 0.8257 -0.9%
1891 0.7763 -6.0%
1892 0.6787 -12.6%
1893 0.6726 -0.9%
1894 0.6667 -0.9%
1895 0.5263 -21.1%
1896 0.5195 -1.3%
1897 0.6838 +31.6%
1898 0.5063 -25.9%
1899 0.5 -1.2%
1900 0.4527 -9.5%
1901 0.4472 -1.2%
1902 0.4418 -1.2%
1903 0.4365 -1.2%
1904 0.4314 -1.2%
1905 0.428 -0.8%
1906 0.4231 -1.2%
1907 0.4183 -1.1%
1908 0.4494 +7.5%
1909 0.5556 +23.6%
1910 0.5474 -1.5%
1911 0.5415 -1.1%
1912 0.5357 -1.1%
1913 0.53 -1.1%
1914 0.5226 -1.4%
1915 0.5172 -1.0%
1916 0.5442 +5.2%
1917 0.5387 -1.0%
1918 0.5316 -1.3%
1919 0.5263 -1.0%
1920 0.5195 -1.3%
1921 0.4573 -12.0%
1922 0.3916 -14.4%
1923 0.3869 -1.2%
1924 0.413 +6.7%
1925 0.4094 -0.9%
1926 0.4058 -0.9%
1927 0.3746 -7.7%
1928 0.4 +6.8%
1929 0.3409 -14.8%
1930 0.3107 -8.9%
1931 0.3081 -0.8%
1932 0.3056 -0.8%
1933 0.303 -0.8%
1934 0.2725 -10.1%
1935 0.271 -0.5%
1936 0.3226 +19.0%
1937 0.32 -0.8%
1938 0.291 -9.1%
1939 0.3158 +8.5%
1940 0.3394 +7.5%
1945 0.3218 -5.2%
1946 0.3415 +6.1%
1947 0.3373 -1.2%
1948 0.3341 -1.0%
1949 0.3783 +13.2%
1950 0.4215 +11.4%
1951 0.5809 +37.8%
1952 0.5766 -0.7%
1953 0.5722 -0.8%
1954 0.5673 -0.9%
1955 0.5632 -0.7%
1956 0.7837 +39.2%
1957 0.7799 -0.5%
1958 0.7087 -9.1%
1959 0.7038 -0.7%
1960 0.6985 -0.7%
1961 0.9761 +39.7%
1962 1.01 +3.6%
1963 0.9607 -5.0%
1964 0.9534 -0.8%
1965 1.05 +10.2%
1966 1.04 -0.8%
1967 1.03 -0.8%
1968 0.925 -10.5%
1969 0.9201 -0.5%
1970 0.913 -0.8%
1971 0.9067 -0.7%
1972 0.9014 -0.6%
1973 0.7766 -13.9%
1974 0.6938 -10.7%
1975 0.6719 -3.1%
1976 0.6111 -9.1%
1977 0.6289 +2.9%
1978 0.6466 +2.8%
1979 0.6449 -0.3%
1980 0.6442 -0.1%
1981 0.6443 +0.0%
1982 0.6252 -3.0%
1983 0.5866 -6.2%
1984 0.6064 +3.4%
1985 0.5671 -6.5%
1986 0.5468 -3.6%
1987 0.5461 -0.1%
1988 0.5848 +7.1%
1989 0.6039 +3.3%
1990 0.6031 -0.1%
1991 0.5821 -3.5%
1992 0.5416 -7.0%
1993 0.5203 -3.9%
1994 0.5379 +3.4%
1995 0.5164 -4.0%
1996 0.5321 +3.0%
1997 0.5488 +3.1%
1998 0.4744 -13.6%
1999 0.5112 +7.8%
2000 0.4156 -18.7%
2001 0.3919 -5.7%
2002 0.4284 +9.3%
2003 0.4273 -0.3%
2004 0.4075 -4.6%
2005 0.3876 -4.9%
2006 0.386 -0.4%
2007 0.4023 +4.2%
2008 0.5459 +35.7%
2009 0.5431 -0.5%
2010 0.4864 -10.4%
2011 0.3408 -29.9%
2012 0.3394 -0.4%
2013 0.2838 -16.4%
2014 0.3001 +5.8%
2015 0.2988 -0.4%
2016 0.2976 -0.4%
2017 0.2949 -0.9%
2018 0.2761 -6.4%
2019 0.258 -6.6%
2020 0.2572 -0.3%
2021 0.2561 -0.4%
2022 0.2541 -0.8%

Denmark compared with similar countries

  • Denmark's 0.2541 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.3016, 84% of the median. (64 countries reporting)
  • Denmark's 0.2541 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.2903, 88% of the median. (52 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Military personnel as a share of total population in Denmark changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1864 +100.7% 0.929 1.86
1875 -59.2% 2.1 0.8556
1849 +50.5% 1.18 1.77
1879 -46.0% 0.567 0.3061
1961 +39.7% 0.6985 0.9761
1956 +39.2% 0.5632 0.7837

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1810s 1.71 1.61 1.82 4
1820s 1.89 1.42 2.18 10
1830s 1.91 1.62 2.08 10
1840s 1.39 1.05 2.11 10
1850s 1.04 0.9701 1.11 10
1860s 1.81 0.929 2.9 10
1870s 1.4 0.3061 2.18 10
1880s 0.4688 0.2927 0.8333 10
1890s 0.6356 0.5 0.8257 10
1900s 0.4484 0.4183 0.5556 10
1910s 0.5335 0.5172 0.5474 10
1920s 0.4099 0.3409 0.5195 10
1930s 0.302 0.271 0.3226 10
1940s 0.3421 0.3218 0.3783 6
1950s 0.6258 0.4215 0.7837 10
1960s 0.9573 0.6985 1.05 10
1970s 0.7395 0.6111 0.913 10
1980s 0.5955 0.5461 0.6443 10
1990s 0.5368 0.4744 0.6031 10
2000s 0.4335 0.386 0.5459 10
2010s 0.3176 0.258 0.4864 10
2020s 0.2558 0.2541 0.2572 3

Countries ranked near Denmark

  1. 89 Pakistan 0.2675 compare
  2. 90 Spain 0.2593 compare
  3. 91 Portugal 0.2592 compare
  4. 93 Austria 0.2537 compare
  5. 94 Czechia 0.253 compare
  6. 95 Afghanistan 0.2464 compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More population data for Denmark

All data for Denmark →

Frequently asked questions

What is military personnel as a share of total population in Denmark?
Military personnel as a share of total population in Denmark was 0.2541 in 2022, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest military personnel as a share of total population recorded in Denmark?
The highest recorded value was 2.9 in 1868.
What is the lowest military personnel as a share of total population recorded in Denmark?
The lowest recorded value was 0.2541 in 2022.
How does Denmark rank for military personnel as a share of total population?
Denmark ranks 92nd out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
Is military personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Denmark?
Over the last ten years it is down 25.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Denmark data come from?
The figures come from 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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Military personnel as a share of total population in Denmark. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 12 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/military-personnel-as-a-share-of-total-population/denmark/

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About this data

Indicator
Military personnel as a share of total population
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
194 places, 15,765 data points, 1816–2022
Last refreshed