Military Personnel as a Percentage of Population in France, 1987-2016

France’s military personnel as a percentage of the population saw a steady decline from 1% in 1987 to around 0.3% by 2016, reflecting post-Cold War downsizing and restructuring. The end of conscription in 1997 and the shift toward a professional military force were major factors, alongside France’s investment in urban development and modernization.

The slight resurgence in 2009 to 0.6% briefly interrupted this trend, possibly due to renewed NATO commitments, but it quickly returned to the prior downward trajectory. The sustained low percentage from 2013 onward reflects the balance France achieved in focusing on urban infrastructure while maintaining strategic defense capabilities.