Military personnel as a share of total population in India
India: Military personnel as a share of total population was 0.1% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
0.1%
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
143rd
of 194 countries
All-time high
0.3%
in 1968
All-time low
0.1%
in 1947
Years of data
76
1947–2022
Military personnel as a share of total population in India, 1947–2022
Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
India recorded 0.1% for military personnel as a share of total population in 2022.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel as a share of total population in India peaked at 0.3% in 1968 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1947.
That places India 143rd out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 76 years of available data.
Military personnel as a share of total population in India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 | 0.1% | — |
| 1948 | 0.1% | +1.7% |
| 1949 | 0.1% | +1.8% |
| 1950 | 0.1% | +1.7% |
| 1951 | 0.1% | +1.5% |
| 1952 | 0.1% | +1.1% |
| 1953 | 0.1% | +1.0% |
| 1954 | 0.1% | +0.9% |
| 1955 | 0.1% | +0.7% |
| 1956 | 0.1% | +0.3% |
| 1957 | 0.1% | +9.0% |
| 1958 | 0.1% | +7.9% |
| 1959 | 0.1% | +6.9% |
| 1960 | 0.1% | -2.2% |
| 1961 | 0.2% | +41.7% |
| 1962 | 0.2% | +1.0% |
| 1963 | 0.2% | +32.5% |
| 1964 | 0.3% | +9.8% |
| 1965 | 0.3% | -1.8% |
| 1966 | 0.3% | +12.3% |
| 1967 | 0.3% | -0.8% |
| 1968 | 0.3% | +2.0% |
| 1969 | 0.3% | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 0.3% | -2.5% |
| 1971 | 0.3% | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 0.3% | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 0.3% | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 0.3% | -2.2% |
| 1975 | 0.3% | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 0.2% | -15.7% |
| 1977 | 0.2% | -13.7% |
| 1978 | 0.2% | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 0.2% | -3.2% |
| 1980 | 0.2% | -16.0% |
| 1981 | 0.2% | -2.2% |
| 1982 | 0.2% | -0.8% |
| 1983 | 0.2% | -3.6% |
| 1984 | 0.2% | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 0.2% | +10.1% |
| 1986 | 0.2% | -2.1% |
| 1987 | 0.2% | -2.1% |
| 1988 | 0.2% | +5.7% |
| 1989 | 0.2% | -9.3% |
| 1990 | 0.2% | -2.1% |
| 1991 | 0.1% | -2.0% |
| 1992 | 0.1% | -1.9% |
| 1993 | 0.1% | -1.8% |
| 1994 | 0.1% | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 0.1% | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 0.1% | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 0.1% | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 0.1% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 0.1% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 0.1% | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 0.1% | -5.1% |
| 2002 | 0.1% | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 0.1% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 0.1% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 0.1% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 0.1% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 0.1% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 0.1% | -3.4% |
| 2009 | 0.1% | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 0.1% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 0.1% | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 0.1% | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 0.1% | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 0.1% | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 0.1% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 0.1% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 0.1% | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 0.1% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 0.1% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 3 |
| 1950s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near India
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Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel as a share of total population in India?
- Military personnel as a share of total population in India was 0.1% 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 0.3% in 1968.
- What is the lowest military personnel as a share of total population recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1947.
- How does India rank for military personnel as a share of total population?
- India ranks 143rd out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India 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.