Military personnel as a share of total population in Germany
Germany: Military personnel as a share of total population was 0.2% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
0.2%
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
103rd
of 194 countries
All-time high
12.0%
in 1918
All-time low
0.2%
in 1932
Years of data
163
1816–2022
Military personnel as a share of total population in Germany, 1816–2022
Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Germany recorded 0.2% for military personnel as a share of total population in 2022.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 28.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel as a share of total population in Germany peaked at 12.0% in 1918 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 1932.
Germany ranks 103rd 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 Germany, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1816 | 1.3% | — |
| 1817 | 1.2% | -2.1% |
| 1818 | 1.2% | -2.1% |
| 1819 | 1.2% | -1.7% |
| 1820 | 1.2% | -2.6% |
| 1821 | 1.1% | -1.8% |
| 1822 | 1.1% | -1.6% |
| 1823 | 1.1% | -1.5% |
| 1824 | 1.1% | -1.6% |
| 1825 | 1.1% | -1.8% |
| 1826 | 1.0% | -1.4% |
| 1827 | 1.0% | -1.0% |
| 1828 | 1.0% | -1.3% |
| 1829 | 1.0% | -1.0% |
| 1830 | 1.0% | -1.0% |
| 1831 | 1.0% | +0.4% |
| 1832 | 1.0% | -0.0% |
| 1833 | 1.0% | +0.3% |
| 1834 | 1.0% | -1.3% |
| 1835 | 1.0% | -1.7% |
| 1836 | 1.0% | -1.6% |
| 1837 | 1.0% | -1.2% |
| 1838 | 1.1% | +20.7% |
| 1839 | 0.9% | -20.2% |
| 1840 | 0.9% | -1.2% |
| 1841 | 0.9% | -1.2% |
| 1842 | 0.9% | -1.3% |
| 1843 | 0.9% | -1.1% |
| 1844 | 0.9% | -1.5% |
| 1845 | 0.8% | -1.5% |
| 1846 | 0.8% | -1.1% |
| 1847 | 0.8% | -1.0% |
| 1848 | 0.8% | +0.7% |
| 1849 | 0.8% | -3.9% |
| 1850 | 0.8% | -1.7% |
| 1851 | 0.8% | +0.9% |
| 1852 | 0.8% | +2.3% |
| 1853 | 0.8% | +0.1% |
| 1854 | 0.8% | -0.7% |
| 1855 | 0.8% | +1.9% |
| 1856 | 0.8% | -0.8% |
| 1857 | 0.8% | -1.0% |
| 1858 | 0.9% | +6.5% |
| 1859 | 0.9% | -1.4% |
| 1860 | 1.1% | +29.4% |
| 1861 | 1.1% | -0.2% |
| 1862 | 1.1% | +3.6% |
| 1863 | 1.1% | +0.0% |
| 1864 | 1.1% | -3.2% |
| 1865 | 1.1% | -3.9% |
| 1866 | 0.9% | -16.9% |
| 1867 | 0.7% | -18.2% |
| 1868 | 1.0% | +43.6% |
| 1869 | 1.0% | -0.5% |
| 1870 | 1.0% | -0.5% |
| 1871 | 2.4% | +138.3% |
| 1872 | 1.0% | -57.5% |
| 1873 | 1.0% | -1.1% |
| 1874 | 1.0% | -0.4% |
| 1875 | 1.0% | -1.5% |
| 1876 | 1.0% | -1.0% |
| 1877 | 1.0% | -1.3% |
| 1878 | 1.0% | -1.2% |
| 1879 | 1.0% | -0.9% |
| 1880 | 1.0% | -1.0% |
| 1881 | 1.0% | +5.3% |
| 1882 | 1.0% | -0.9% |
| 1883 | 1.0% | -0.2% |
| 1884 | 1.0% | -0.7% |
| 1885 | 1.0% | -0.4% |
| 1886 | 1.0% | -0.6% |
| 1887 | 1.1% | +8.3% |
| 1888 | 1.0% | -0.8% |
| 1889 | 1.0% | -1.0% |
| 1890 | 1.0% | -1.3% |
| 1891 | 1.1% | +2.7% |
| 1892 | 1.0% | -0.6% |
| 1893 | 1.2% | +13.1% |
| 1894 | 1.2% | -1.1% |
| 1895 | 1.2% | -1.1% |
| 1896 | 1.1% | -1.4% |
| 1897 | 1.1% | -1.2% |
| 1898 | 1.1% | -1.2% |
| 1899 | 1.1% | +0.6% |
| 1900 | 1.1% | -0.6% |
| 1901 | 1.1% | -0.5% |
| 1902 | 1.1% | -0.3% |
| 1903 | 1.1% | -1.8% |
| 1904 | 1.1% | -0.5% |
| 1905 | 1.1% | -0.2% |
| 1906 | 1.1% | -0.9% |
| 1907 | 1.1% | -0.6% |
| 1908 | 1.1% | -0.6% |
| 1909 | 1.0% | -0.7% |
| 1910 | 1.0% | -0.4% |
| 1911 | 1.0% | -0.6% |
| 1912 | 1.1% | +4.5% |
| 1913 | 1.3% | +18.5% |
| 1914 | 1.3% | -0.9% |
| 1915 | 5.6% | +342.9% |
| 1916 | 6.8% | +20.1% |
| 1917 | 8.0% | +18.1% |
| 1918 | 12.0% | +49.9% |
| 1919 | 0.2% | -98.5% |
| 1920 | 0.2% | +1.9% |
| 1921 | 0.2% | -1.2% |
| 1922 | 0.2% | +2.1% |
| 1923 | 0.2% | -0.6% |
| 1924 | 0.2% | -0.6% |
| 1925 | 0.2% | -0.7% |
| 1926 | 0.2% | -0.7% |
| 1927 | 0.2% | -0.6% |
| 1928 | 0.2% | -0.6% |
| 1929 | 0.2% | -0.5% |
| 1930 | 0.2% | -0.5% |
| 1931 | 0.2% | -0.5% |
| 1932 | 0.2% | -0.4% |
| 1933 | 0.2% | +3.0% |
| 1934 | 0.5% | +165.4% |
| 1935 | 0.7% | +43.6% |
| 1936 | 0.9% | +28.4% |
| 1937 | 0.9% | +0.5% |
| 1938 | 1.1% | +28.6% |
| 1939 | 3.4% | +201.5% |
| 1940 | 3.7% | +6.1% |
| 1941 | 7.8% | +114.2% |
| 1942 | 7.7% | -1.7% |
| 1943 | 7.7% | -0.5% |
| 1944 | 6.8% | -11.4% |
| 1945 | 5.9% | -13.0% |
| 1990 | 0.7% | -88.4% |
| 1991 | 0.6% | -16.8% |
| 1992 | 0.5% | -4.0% |
| 1993 | 0.5% | -10.6% |
| 1994 | 0.4% | -9.3% |
| 1995 | 0.4% | -3.0% |
| 1996 | 0.4% | -4.0% |
| 1997 | 0.4% | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 0.4% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 0.4% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 0.3% | -33.3% |
| 2001 | 0.4% | +39.2% |
| 2002 | 0.4% | -5.4% |
| 2003 | 0.3% | -4.2% |
| 2004 | 0.3% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 0.3% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 0.3% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 0.3% | -13.5% |
| 2008 | 0.3% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 0.3% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 0.3% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 0.3% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 0.2% | -20.4% |
| 2014 | 0.2% | -5.4% |
| 2015 | 0.2% | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 0.2% | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 0.2% | -2.5% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 0.2% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 0.2% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 0.2% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 0.2% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1810s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.3% | 4 |
| 1820s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1830s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 1840s | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1850s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1860s | 1.0% | 0.7% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 1870s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 1880s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 1890s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1900s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 1910s | 3.8% | 0.2% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.8% | 0.2% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 1940s | 6.6% | 3.7% | 7.8% | 6 |
| 1990s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More population data for Germany
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.0436 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.8968 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.0436 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1409 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 78,932 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.1335 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3367 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.0% (2100)
- Population density 202.93 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 3.11 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel as a share of total population in Germany?
- Military personnel as a share of total population in Germany 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 Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 12.0% in 1918.
- What is the lowest military personnel as a share of total population recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 1932.
- How does Germany rank for military personnel as a share of total population?
- Germany ranks 103rd out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Germany 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.