Counts and shares of men in United Kingdom armed forces from 1787-1816 (mobilization for Napoleonic wars) and 1909-1949 (mobilization for World War I & II).
Among men ages 15 to 39 in the United Kingdom, 12% served in the military from 1805 to 1815 amid the Napoleonic Wars. About 50% of men in the U.K. served in the military during World War I and World War II.
The Napoleonic Wars estimates is based on the total number of men serving in the Royal Army, Navy, and Marines.^ Thus all those men are assumed to be between ages 15 and 39. The U.K. population of those ages is estimated based on an age share of 36%. That figure is from the age returns for England and Wales in the Census of 1821.
For World War I and World II, figures for men in the military are for the United Kingdom.^ Again, all men in the military are assumed to be between ages 15 and 39.
Dataset sheets:
- Napoleonic wars: men in army, navy, and marines, selected years, 1787-1816, and share relative to men ages 15 to 39
- WWI+II: men in armed forces, selected years 1909-1949, and share relative to men ages 15 to 39
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