Armed forces, percent of labor force - Country rankings

* indicates monthly or quarterly data series

Armed forces personnel, percent of the labor force, 2019 - Country rankings:

The average for 2019 based on 164 countries was 1.25 percent.The highest value was in Eritrea: 12.55 percent and the lowest value was in Iceland: 0 percent. The indicator is available from 1990 to 2019. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Measure: percent; Source: International Institute for Strategic Studies
Select indicator
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series


Countries Armed forces, percent of labor force, 2019 Global rank Available data
Eritrea 12.55 1 1993 - 2019
North Korea 9.42 2 1990 - 2019
Djibouti 5.53 3 1990 - 2019
Syria 4.73 4 1990 - 2019
Laos 4.4 5 1990 - 2019
Israel 4.32 6 1990 - 2019
Jordan 4.16 7 1990 - 2019
Montenegro 4.11 8 2006 - 2019
Lebanon 3.91 9 1990 - 2019
Brunei 3.68 10 1990 - 2019
Sri Lanka 3.66 11 1990 - 2019
Armenia 3.47 12 1992 - 2019
Iraq 3.19 13 1990 - 2019
Belarus 3.12 14 1992 - 2019
Greece 3.1 15 1990 - 2019
Venezuela 3 16 1990 - 2019
Egypt 2.81 17 1990 - 2019
Afghanistan 2.78 18 1990 - 2019
Algeria 2.56 19 1990 - 2019
Lithuania 2.51 20 1992 - 2019
Cyprus 2.46 21 1990 - 2019
Iran 2.26 22 1990 - 2019
Cambodia 2.21 23 1990 - 2019
Bahrain 2.2 24 1990 - 2019
Burma 2.14 25 1990 - 2019
South Korea 2.13 26 1990 - 2019
Turkmenistan 2.12 27 1992 - 2019
Morocco 2.05 28 1990 - 2019
Mauritania 2.04 29 1990 - 2019
Russia 1.98 30 1992 - 2019
Oman 1.93 31 1990 - 2019
Colombia 1.83 32 1990 - 2019
Namibia 1.74 33 1991 - 2019
Singapore 1.67 34 1990 - 2019
North Macedonia 1.66 35 1992 - 2019
Azerbaijan 1.65 36 1992 - 2019
Saudi Arabia 1.63 37 1990 - 2019
El Salvador 1.52 38 1990 - 2019
Turkey 1.52 39 1990 - 2019
Ukraine 1.47 40 1992 - 2019
Georgia 1.4 41 1993 - 2019
Nepal 1.4 42 1990 - 2019
Romania 1.4 43 1990 - 2019
Domin. Rep. 1.39 44 1990 - 2019
Ivory Coast 1.38 45 1990 - 2019
Panama 1.37 46 1990 - 2019
Chile 1.32 47 1990 - 2019
Italy 1.32 48 1990 - 2019
Pakistan 1.31 49 1990 - 2019
Mongolia 1.3 50 1990 - 2019
Uruguay 1.26 51 1990 - 2019
Bolivia 1.25 52 1990 - 2019
Thailand 1.14 53 1990 - 2019
Tunisia 1.13 54 1990 - 2019
Belize 1.12 55 1990 - 2019
Bulgaria 1.09 56 1990 - 2019
Fiji 1.07 57 1990 - 2019
Guyana 1.05 58 1990 - 2019
Qatar 1.05 59 1990 - 2019
Poland 1.03 60 1990 - 2019
Burundi 1.02 61 1990 - 2019
Croatia 1.01 62 1992 - 2019
Gabon 1.01 63 1990 - 2019
Sudan 1.01 64 1990 - 2019
Estonia 1 65 1992 - 2019
France 0.99 66 1990 - 2019
Portugal 0.99 67 1990 - 2019
Finland 0.98 68 1990 - 2019
Serbia 0.98 69 1990 - 2019
Kuwait 0.97 70 1990 - 2019
UA Emirates 0.97 71 1990 - 2019
Vietnam 0.93 72 1990 - 2019
Chad 0.9 73 1990 - 2019
Paraguay 0.87 74 1990 - 2019
Angola 0.86 75 1990 - 2019
Rwanda 0.86 76 1990 - 2019
Spain 0.86 77 1990 - 2019
Zimbabwe 0.86 78 1990 - 2019
Bahamas 0.85 79 1995 - 2019
Botswana 0.85 80 1990 - 2019
Peru 0.85 81 1990 - 2019
Hungary 0.84 82 1990 - 2019
Malaysia 0.83 83 1990 - 2019
USA 0.83 84 1990 - 2019
Bosnia & Herz. 0.82 85 1992 - 2019
Kyrgyzstan 0.82 86 1992 - 2019
Norway 0.81 87 1990 - 2019
Suriname 0.81 88 1990 - 2019
Kazakhstan 0.77 89 1993 - 2019
Malta 0.75 90 1990 - 2019
Tr.&Tobago 0.72 91 1990 - 2019
Brazil 0.71 92 1990 - 2019
Barbados 0.7 93 1995 - 2019
Somalia 0.7 94 1990 - 2019
Tajikistan 0.7 95 1992 - 2019
Slovenia 0.68 96 1992 - 2019
Guatemala 0.66 97 1990 - 2019
Moldova 0.66 98 1992 - 2019
G.-Bissau 0.62 99 1990 - 2019
India 0.61 100 1990 - 2019
Latvia 0.61 101 1992 - 2019
Mexico 0.58 102 1990 - 2019
Slovakia 0.58 103 1993 - 2019
Albania 0.56 104 1992 - 2019
Yemen 0.56 105 1990 - 2019
C.A. Republic 0.53 106 1990 - 2019
Honduras 0.52 107 1990 - 2019
Uzbekistan 0.51 108 1992 - 2019
Argentina 0.5 109 1990 - 2019
Belgium 0.5 110 1990 - 2019
Ecuador 0.5 111 1990 - 2019
Indonesia 0.5 112 1990 - 2019
Denmark 0.49 113 1990 - 2019
Mauritius 0.49 114 1990 - 2019
Austria 0.47 115 1990 - 2019
Gambia 0.47 116 1990 - 2019
Czechia 0.46 117 1993 - 2019
Australia 0.43 118 1990 - 2019
Netherlands 0.43 119 1990 - 2019
UK 0.43 120 1990 - 2019
Cape Verde 0.42 121 1990 - 2019
DR Congo 0.42 122 1990 - 2019
Germany 0.41 123 1990 - 2019
Senegal 0.41 124 1990 - 2019
Jamaica 0.4 125 1990 - 2019
Nicaragua 0.4 126 1990 - 2019
Switzerland 0.4 127 1990 - 2019
Costa Rica 0.39 128 1990 - 2019
Japan 0.38 129 1990 - 2019
Ireland 0.37 130 1990 - 2019
South Africa 0.37 131 1990 - 2019
Canada 0.35 132 1990 - 2019
Sierra Leone 0.35 133 1990 - 2019
Togo 0.35 134 1990 - 2019
Philippines 0.34 135 1990 - 2019
China 0.33 136 1990 - 2019
Guinea 0.33 137 1990 - 2019
Nigeria 0.33 138 1990 - 2019
Bangladesh 0.32 139 1990 - 2019
Cameroon 0.32 140 1990 - 2019
Luxembourg 0.32 141 1990 - 2019
New Zealand 0.32 142 1990 - 2019
Mali 0.28 143 1990 - 2019
Uganda 0.28 144 1990 - 2019
Benin 0.27 145 1990 - 2019
Sweden 0.27 146 1990 - 2019
Zambia 0.26 147 1990 - 2019
Ethiopia 0.25 148 1990 - 2019
Lesotho 0.21 149 1990 - 2019
Malawi 0.21 150 1990 - 2019
Eq. Guinea 0.19 151 1990 - 2019
Madagascar 0.16 152 1990 - 2019
Burkina Faso 0.15 153 1990 - 2019
Papua N.G. 0.14 154 1990 - 2019
Kenya 0.13 155 1990 - 2019
Ghana 0.12 156 1990 - 2019
Niger 0.11 157 1990 - 2019
Tanzania 0.1 158 1990 - 2019
Liberia 0.09 159 1990 - 2019
Mozambique 0.08 160 1990 - 2019
Haiti 0.02 161 1990 - 2019
Iceland 0 162 1995 - 2019
Palestine 0 163 2005 - 2019
R. of Congo 0 164 1990 - 2019


Definition: Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces. Labor force comprises all people who meet the International Labour Organization's definition of the economically active population.
1. Eritrea
2. North Korea
3. Djibouti
4. Syria
5. Laos
6. Israel
7. Jordan
8. Montenegro
9. Lebanon
10. Brunei
11. Sri Lanka
12. Armenia
13. Iraq
14. Belarus
15. Greece
16. Venezuela
17. Egypt
18. Afghanistan
19. Algeria
20. Lithuania
21. Cyprus
22. Iran
23. Cambodia
24. Bahrain
25. Burma
26. South Korea
27. Turkmenistan
28. Morocco
29. Mauritania
30. Russia
31. Oman
32. Colombia
33. Namibia
34. Singapore
35. North Macedonia
36. Azerbaijan
37. Saudi Arabia
38. El Salvador
39. Turkey
40. Ukraine
41. Georgia
42. Nepal
43. Romania
44. Domin. Rep.
45. Ivory Coast
46. Panama
47. Chile
48. Italy
49. Pakistan
50. Mongolia
51. Uruguay
52. Bolivia
53. Thailand
54. Tunisia
55. Belize
56. Bulgaria
57. Fiji
58. Guyana
59. Qatar
60. Poland
61. Burundi
62. Croatia
63. Gabon
64. Sudan
65. Estonia
66. France
67. Portugal
68. Finland
69. Serbia
70. Kuwait
71. UA Emirates
72. Vietnam
73. Chad
74. Paraguay
75. Angola
76. Rwanda
77. Spain
78. Zimbabwe
79. Bahamas
80. Botswana
81. Peru
82. Hungary
83. Malaysia
84. USA
85. Bosnia & Herz.
86. Kyrgyzstan
87. Norway
88. Suriname
89. Kazakhstan
90. Malta
91. Tr.&Tobago
92. Brazil
93. Barbados
94. Somalia
95. Tajikistan
96. Slovenia
97. Guatemala
98. Moldova
99. G.-Bissau
100. India
101. Latvia
102. Mexico
103. Slovakia
104. Albania
105. Yemen
106. C.A. Republic
107. Honduras
108. Uzbekistan
109. Argentina
110. Belgium
111. Ecuador
112. Indonesia
113. Denmark
114. Mauritius
115. Austria
116. Gambia
117. Czechia
118. Australia
119. Netherlands
120. UK
121. Cape Verde
122. DR Congo
123. Germany
124. Senegal
125. Jamaica
126. Nicaragua
127. Switzerland
128. Costa Rica
129. Japan
130. Ireland
131. South Africa
132. Canada
133. Sierra Leone
134. Togo
135. Philippines
136. China
137. Guinea
138. Nigeria
139. Bangladesh
140. Cameroon
141. Luxembourg
142. New Zealand
143. Mali
144. Uganda
145. Benin
146. Sweden
147. Zambia
148. Ethiopia
149. Lesotho
150. Malawi
151. Eq. Guinea
152. Madagascar
153. Burkina Faso
154. Papua N.G.
155. Kenya
156. Ghana
157. Niger
158. Tanzania
159. Liberia
160. Mozambique
161. Haiti
162. Iceland
163. Palestine
164. R. of Congo
12.55
9.42
5.53
4.73
4.40
4.32
4.16
4.11
3.91
3.68
3.66
3.47
3.19
3.12
3.10
3.00
2.81
2.78
2.56
2.51
2.46
2.26
2.21
2.20
2.14
2.13
2.12
2.05
2.04
1.98
1.93
1.83
1.74
1.67
1.66
1.65
1.63
1.52
1.52
1.47
1.40
1.40
1.40
1.39
1.38
1.37
1.32
1.32
1.31
1.30
1.26
1.25
1.14
1.13
1.12
1.09
1.07
1.05
1.05
1.03
1.02
1.01
1.01
1.01
1.00
0.99
0.99
0.98
0.98
0.97
0.97
0.93
0.90
0.87
0.86
0.86
0.86
0.86
0.85
0.85
0.85
0.84
0.83
0.83
0.82
0.82
0.81
0.81
0.77
0.75
0.72
0.71
0.70
0.70
0.70
0.68
0.66
0.66
0.62
0.61
0.61
0.58
0.58
0.56
0.56
0.53
0.52
0.51
0.50
0.50
0.50
0.50
0.49
0.49
0.47
0.47
0.46
0.43
0.43
0.43
0.42
0.42
0.41
0.41
0.40
0.40
0.40
0.39
0.38
0.37
0.37
0.35
0.35
0.35
0.34
0.33
0.33
0.33
0.32
0.32
0.32
0.32
0.28
0.28
0.27
0.27
0.26
0.25
0.21
0.21
0.19
0.16
0.15
0.14
0.13
0.12
0.11
0.10
0.09
0.08
0.02
0.00
0.00
0.00
0
3.1
6.3
9.4
12.55
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