Military personnel as a share of total population in Taiwan
Taiwan: Military personnel as a share of total population was 0.7% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
0.7%
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
21st
of 194 countries
All-time high
21.1%
in 1949
All-time low
0.7%
in 2019
Years of data
74
1949–2022
Military personnel as a share of total population in Taiwan, 1949–2022
Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Taiwan recorded 0.7% for military personnel as a share of total population in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 42.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel as a share of total population in Taiwan peaked at 21.1% in 1949 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 2019.
That places Taiwan 21st out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
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 Taiwan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 | 21.1% | — |
| 1950 | 4.0% | -80.9% |
| 1951 | 6.4% | +59.3% |
| 1952 | 6.2% | -4.4% |
| 1953 | 7.1% | +15.7% |
| 1954 | 6.9% | -3.6% |
| 1955 | 6.6% | -3.6% |
| 1956 | 5.6% | -14.7% |
| 1957 | 6.0% | +5.7% |
| 1958 | 6.3% | +4.9% |
| 1959 | 5.9% | -5.7% |
| 1960 | 5.6% | -5.8% |
| 1961 | 5.2% | -6.3% |
| 1962 | 5.0% | -4.8% |
| 1963 | 4.6% | -7.5% |
| 1964 | 4.9% | +6.9% |
| 1965 | 4.1% | -15.4% |
| 1966 | 4.2% | +0.6% |
| 1967 | 4.1% | -2.6% |
| 1968 | 3.8% | -6.5% |
| 1969 | 3.9% | +1.8% |
| 1970 | 3.6% | -8.1% |
| 1971 | 3.6% | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 3.6% | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 3.2% | -10.2% |
| 1974 | 3.1% | -3.8% |
| 1975 | 3.1% | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 2.9% | -7.8% |
| 1977 | 2.7% | -4.9% |
| 1978 | 2.7% | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 2.7% | -2.6% |
| 1980 | 2.6% | -2.5% |
| 1981 | 2.5% | -2.7% |
| 1982 | 2.5% | -2.6% |
| 1983 | 2.5% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 2.5% | +2.8% |
| 1985 | 2.3% | -9.4% |
| 1986 | 2.2% | -5.5% |
| 1987 | 2.2% | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 2.0% | -5.4% |
| 1989 | 2.0% | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 1.8% | -10.0% |
| 1991 | 1.8% | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 1.7% | -3.6% |
| 1993 | 2.1% | +21.7% |
| 1994 | 2.0% | -4.7% |
| 1995 | 2.0% | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 1.9% | -6.6% |
| 1997 | 1.8% | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 1.7% | -8.3% |
| 1999 | 1.7% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 1.7% | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 1.7% | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 1.6% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 1.3% | -21.9% |
| 2004 | 1.3% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 1.3% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 1.3% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 1.3% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 1.3% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 1.3% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 1.3% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 1.2% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 1.2% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 1.2% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 1.2% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 0.9% | -26.1% |
| 2017 | 0.9% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 0.9% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.7% | -24.2% |
| 2020 | 0.7% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.7% | +4.1% |
| 2022 | 0.7% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 21.1% | 21.1% | 21.1% | 1 |
| 1950s | 6.1% | 4.0% | 7.1% | 10 |
| 1960s | 4.5% | 3.8% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.1% | 2.7% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.3% | 2.0% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.9% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.1% | 0.7% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Taiwan
- 18 United Arab Emirates 0.8% compare
- 19 Saudi Arabia 0.8% compare
- 20 Syria 0.8% compare
- 22 Cambodia 0.7% compare
- 23 Djibouti 0.7% compare
- 24 Sao Tome and Principe 0.7% compare
More population data for Taiwan
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -1.57 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.5325 % change on previous year (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 301,946 people (2100)
- World population growth -1.2% (2100)
- Population density 282.89 people per km² (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -1.2% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate -0.4176 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel as a share of total population in Taiwan?
- Military personnel as a share of total population in Taiwan was 0.7% 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 Taiwan?
- The highest recorded value was 21.1% in 1949.
- What is the lowest military personnel as a share of total population recorded in Taiwan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 2019.
- How does Taiwan rank for military personnel as a share of total population?
- Taiwan ranks 21st out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Taiwan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 42.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Taiwan 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.