The Country Similarity Index attempts to quantify how similar countries are to each other relative to other countries. The index is a statistically-based way to measure this. 20% of the index is based on technology. 10% of a country’s technology score (2% of the overall Country Similarity Index score) is allocated for the country’s weapons and military infrastructure. The following are the aspects that were included in the calculation:
Firearms per Capita
The United States has by far the most guns per capita of any country, more than twice the amount of the next highest country. After the United States, European countries tend to have the most, however Yemen, Uruguay, and Canada also have high numbers. East Asian countries tend to have the lowest amount of guns per capita.
The Small Arms Survey is the main source of the data:
http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Arms_Survey
Countries were grouped into the following categories by firearms per 100 people:
0-7.5, 7.5-15, 15-30, 30-60, 60-120
Origin of battle tanks and standard assault riffles
Many smaller countries import their weapons from other countries, since there may not be a reliable manufacturer in the country. Larger countries tend to manufacture their own weapons. The main suppliers of battle tanks are Russia and the United States. Germany is another major supplier. As for assault weapons, Russian-made weapons, especially the AK-47, are prevalent throughout Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.
The Reddit and Wikipedia are main sources of the data:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_main_battle_tanks_by_country
https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/6fxcl5/most_common_automatic_assault_rifles_around_the/
Military Spending per Capita
Many countries in the Middle East tend to spend a lot of money on the military, due to ongoing conflict there. The United States, Australia, Norway, and Singapore also spend a lot. They all spend more than $1,000 per person every year. In general, wealthier countries spend more per capita. Most countries spend less than $100 per person ever year. Some countries like Iceland and Costa Rica do not even have a standing army.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute is the main source of the data:
https://www.sipri.org/databases/milex
Countries were categorized by the amount of money spent on the military per year per capita:
$0-125, $125-250, $250-500, $500-1000, $1000-2000
Military Sophistication
Combat can be fought in the air, on the ground, or at sea. Most countries have battle tanks to aid their army. Having an air force is also quite common. Navies are less common than armies and air forces, since it can be dependent on the country’s geography. Very few landlocked countries have navies. Only a select few countries have nuclear weapons as well.
The Wikipedia is the main source of the data:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_level_of_military_equipment
Countries were categorized by the types of military equipment they possess, including:
Battle Tanks, Fighter Aircraft, Naval Battleships, Nuclear Weapons
Police Officers per Capita
Brunei and Mauritius are two of the countries with the most police per capita. In contrast, many African countries have a low amount of police per capita. The global average is around 400 police officers per 100,000 people.
Wikipedia is the main source of the data:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_number_of_police_officers
Countries were categorized by the number of police officers they have per 100,000 people:
0-200, 200-400, 400-600, 600-800, 800-1000
Obviously there is no one clear way to determine how similar one country is to another. How would you quantify how similar one country is to another?
Please leave any thoughts in the comments section.
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