Military personnel as a share of total population in Spain
Spain: Military personnel as a share of total population was 0.3% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
0.3%
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
90th
of 194 countries
All-time high
2.2%
in 1938
All-time low
0.3%
in 2020
Years of data
207
1816–2022
Military personnel as a share of total population in Spain, 1816–2022
Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Spain recorded 0.3% for military personnel as a share of total population in 2022.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 15.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel as a share of total population in Spain peaked at 2.2% in 1938 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2020.
That places Spain 90th 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 207 years of available data.
Military personnel as a share of total population in Spain, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1816 | 1.1% | — |
| 1817 | 1.1% | +0.1% |
| 1818 | 1.1% | -0.8% |
| 1819 | 1.1% | +0.0% |
| 1820 | 1.3% | +14.1% |
| 1821 | 1.4% | +12.2% |
| 1822 | 1.4% | -5.0% |
| 1823 | 1.0% | -28.4% |
| 1824 | 0.8% | -19.0% |
| 1825 | 0.8% | -0.8% |
| 1826 | 0.8% | -1.8% |
| 1827 | 0.8% | -0.7% |
| 1828 | 0.8% | -1.8% |
| 1829 | 0.7% | -5.1% |
| 1830 | 0.7% | -5.3% |
| 1831 | 1.0% | +55.5% |
| 1832 | 0.7% | -32.1% |
| 1833 | 0.5% | -33.1% |
| 1834 | 0.9% | +81.9% |
| 1835 | 0.8% | -8.9% |
| 1836 | 0.7% | -6.6% |
| 1837 | 0.7% | -7.0% |
| 1838 | 0.6% | -6.3% |
| 1839 | 0.6% | -6.7% |
| 1840 | 0.6% | -0.8% |
| 1841 | 0.6% | +8.0% |
| 1842 | 0.7% | +6.2% |
| 1843 | 0.7% | +7.9% |
| 1844 | 0.8% | +6.2% |
| 1845 | 0.8% | +4.8% |
| 1846 | 0.9% | +6.3% |
| 1847 | 0.9% | -0.8% |
| 1848 | 0.9% | -1.6% |
| 1849 | 0.8% | -2.4% |
| 1850 | 0.8% | -1.6% |
| 1851 | 0.8% | -3.3% |
| 1852 | 0.8% | -4.2% |
| 1853 | 0.7% | -5.3% |
| 1854 | 0.7% | -2.6% |
| 1855 | 0.6% | -11.4% |
| 1856 | 0.7% | +12.2% |
| 1857 | 0.8% | +14.5% |
| 1858 | 0.8% | -0.5% |
| 1859 | 0.8% | +0.5% |
| 1860 | 0.8% | +0.4% |
| 1861 | 0.8% | -2.0% |
| 1862 | 0.7% | -5.2% |
| 1863 | 0.7% | -7.2% |
| 1864 | 0.7% | +7.9% |
| 1865 | 0.8% | +4.7% |
| 1866 | 0.7% | -14.0% |
| 1867 | 0.7% | +1.6% |
| 1868 | 0.6% | -10.4% |
| 1869 | 0.6% | +3.8% |
| 1870 | 0.8% | +21.1% |
| 1871 | 0.6% | -20.4% |
| 1872 | 0.6% | -0.4% |
| 1873 | 0.6% | +2.8% |
| 1874 | 0.6% | +2.6% |
| 1875 | 0.7% | +7.4% |
| 1876 | 0.6% | -6.7% |
| 1877 | 0.6% | -2.4% |
| 1878 | 0.9% | +43.5% |
| 1879 | 0.9% | +2.1% |
| 1880 | 0.9% | +2.7% |
| 1881 | 0.9% | +0.1% |
| 1882 | 0.9% | -2.4% |
| 1883 | 0.9% | -2.5% |
| 1884 | 0.9% | -3.1% |
| 1885 | 1.0% | +16.7% |
| 1886 | 0.9% | -13.6% |
| 1887 | 0.9% | -0.5% |
| 1888 | 0.8% | -3.1% |
| 1889 | 0.8% | -2.5% |
| 1890 | 0.8% | -5.2% |
| 1891 | 0.8% | -1.9% |
| 1892 | 0.7% | -4.8% |
| 1893 | 0.7% | +1.1% |
| 1894 | 0.8% | +1.8% |
| 1895 | 0.8% | +9.8% |
| 1896 | 0.8% | -1.1% |
| 1897 | 0.8% | +2.9% |
| 1898 | 0.8% | -1.1% |
| 1899 | 0.7% | -14.1% |
| 1900 | 0.6% | -16.1% |
| 1901 | 0.6% | +2.3% |
| 1902 | 0.6% | -2.4% |
| 1903 | 0.6% | -0.7% |
| 1904 | 0.6% | -0.7% |
| 1905 | 0.6% | +0.2% |
| 1906 | 0.6% | -0.7% |
| 1907 | 0.7% | +16.0% |
| 1908 | 0.6% | -16.5% |
| 1909 | 0.6% | -0.7% |
| 1910 | 0.7% | +22.6% |
| 1911 | 0.7% | +6.5% |
| 1912 | 0.7% | -2.0% |
| 1913 | 0.7% | -0.7% |
| 1914 | 0.8% | +11.0% |
| 1915 | 0.9% | +7.3% |
| 1916 | 0.9% | +7.3% |
| 1917 | 1.0% | +4.1% |
| 1918 | 1.0% | +6.4% |
| 1919 | 1.1% | +5.0% |
| 1920 | 1.1% | +4.7% |
| 1921 | 1.0% | -12.9% |
| 1922 | 1.1% | +12.4% |
| 1923 | 0.9% | -16.2% |
| 1924 | 0.7% | -19.9% |
| 1925 | 0.7% | -6.6% |
| 1926 | 0.7% | +0.4% |
| 1927 | 0.6% | -17.1% |
| 1928 | 0.6% | -1.8% |
| 1929 | 0.6% | +2.1% |
| 1930 | 0.6% | +0.5% |
| 1931 | 0.6% | -1.0% |
| 1932 | 0.6% | +2.1% |
| 1933 | 0.6% | +4.3% |
| 1934 | 0.6% | -6.4% |
| 1935 | 0.6% | +1.3% |
| 1936 | 1.9% | +233.6% |
| 1937 | 2.0% | +4.3% |
| 1938 | 2.2% | +9.0% |
| 1939 | 2.1% | -2.9% |
| 1940 | 2.1% | -2.4% |
| 1941 | 2.0% | -2.5% |
| 1942 | 1.9% | -3.5% |
| 1943 | 1.7% | -12.8% |
| 1944 | 1.8% | +7.4% |
| 1945 | 1.8% | -2.0% |
| 1946 | 1.7% | -3.9% |
| 1947 | 1.7% | -0.3% |
| 1948 | 1.7% | -0.8% |
| 1949 | 1.6% | -5.1% |
| 1950 | 1.8% | +9.8% |
| 1951 | 1.9% | +6.0% |
| 1952 | 1.9% | -0.8% |
| 1953 | 1.8% | -5.5% |
| 1954 | 1.7% | -0.4% |
| 1955 | 1.7% | -0.8% |
| 1956 | 1.6% | -6.1% |
| 1957 | 1.5% | -6.4% |
| 1958 | 1.4% | -6.8% |
| 1959 | 1.3% | -6.9% |
| 1960 | 1.2% | -7.6% |
| 1961 | 1.1% | -7.9% |
| 1962 | 1.1% | -2.5% |
| 1963 | 1.2% | +7.7% |
| 1964 | 1.2% | -1.0% |
| 1965 | 1.2% | -1.0% |
| 1966 | 1.2% | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 1.1% | -2.4% |
| 1968 | 1.1% | -1.0% |
| 1969 | 1.1% | -2.4% |
| 1970 | 1.1% | -1.0% |
| 1971 | 1.1% | -1.0% |
| 1972 | 1.1% | -1.0% |
| 1973 | 1.0% | -1.0% |
| 1974 | 1.1% | +1.7% |
| 1975 | 1.1% | -1.0% |
| 1976 | 1.0% | -2.9% |
| 1977 | 1.0% | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 1.0% | -1.4% |
| 1979 | 1.0% | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 0.9% | -5.7% |
| 1981 | 1.0% | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 1.0% | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 0.9% | -5.1% |
| 1984 | 0.9% | -4.1% |
| 1985 | 0.8% | -8.5% |
| 1986 | 0.8% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 0.8% | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 0.8% | -3.4% |
| 1989 | 0.7% | -9.1% |
| 1990 | 0.7% | -5.2% |
| 1991 | 0.6% | -6.4% |
| 1992 | 0.5% | -19.7% |
| 1993 | 0.5% | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 0.5% | +4.2% |
| 1995 | 0.5% | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 0.5% | -3.5% |
| 1997 | 0.5% | -3.1% |
| 1998 | 0.5% | -4.8% |
| 1999 | 0.4% | -18.0% |
| 2000 | 0.4% | +7.1% |
| 2001 | 0.4% | -15.6% |
| 2002 | 0.4% | +21.7% |
| 2003 | 0.4% | -16.5% |
| 2004 | 0.3% | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 0.3% | -2.9% |
| 2006 | 0.3% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 0.3% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 0.3% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 0.5% | +47.3% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | -42.9% |
| 2011 | 0.3% | +10.1% |
| 2012 | 0.3% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 0.3% | -4.8% |
| 2014 | 0.3% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 0.3% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 0.3% | -8.2% |
| 2017 | 0.3% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 0.3% | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 0.3% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 0.3% | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 0.3% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1810s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 4 |
| 1820s | 1.0% | 0.7% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 1830s | 0.7% | 0.5% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1840s | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1850s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.9% | 0.8% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1890s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.8% | 0.6% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 1930s | 1.2% | 0.6% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1940s | 1.8% | 1.6% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 1950s | 1.7% | 1.3% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.9% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More population data for Spain
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.527 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -4.98 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.527 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.6358 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 44,220 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.1636 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2658 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.5% (2100)
- Population density 66.29 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.24 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel as a share of total population in Spain?
- Military personnel as a share of total population in Spain was 0.3% 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 Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 2.2% in 1938.
- What is the lowest military personnel as a share of total population recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2020.
- How does Spain rank for military personnel as a share of total population?
- Spain ranks 90th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Spain 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 207 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Ratio of military personnel to total population, expressed as a percentage.