Armed forces, percent of labor force - Country rankings
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
Armed forces personnel, percent of the labor force, 2020:
The average for 2020 based on 43 countries was 2.02 percent. The highest value was in North Korea: 9.59 percent and the lowest value was in Palestine: 0 percent. The indicator is available from 1991 to 2020. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.Measure: percent; Source: International Institute for Strategic Studies
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* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
| Countries | Armed forces, percent of labor force, 2020 | Global rank | Available data |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Korea | 9.59 | 1 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Syria | 5.39 | 2 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Iraq | 4.45 | 3 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Lebanon | 4.43 | 4 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Laos | 4.36 | 5 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Israel | 4.24 | 6 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Jordan | 3.97 | 7 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Sri Lanka | 3.75 | 8 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Brunei | 3.68 | 9 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Armenia | 3.39 | 10 | 1992 - 2020 |
| Turkmenistan | 2.85 | 11 | 1992 - 2020 |
| Iran | 2.39 | 12 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Bahrain | 2.26 | 13 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Cambodia | 2.2 | 14 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Oman | 2.1 | 15 | 1991 - 2020 |
| South Korea | 1.99 | 16 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Burma | 1.92 | 17 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Afghanistan | 1.81 | 18 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1.76 | 19 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Singapore | 1.68 | 20 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Azerbaijan | 1.59 | 21 | 1992 - 2020 |
| Georgia | 1.39 | 22 | 1993 - 2020 |
| Nepal | 1.37 | 23 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Mongolia | 1.32 | 24 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Pakistan | 1.28 | 25 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Thailand | 1.13 | 26 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Qatar | 1.07 | 27 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Kuwait | 1.04 | 28 | 1991 - 2020 |
| UA Emirates | 0.97 | 29 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Vietnam | 0.95 | 30 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Malaysia | 0.82 | 31 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Kazakhstan | 0.77 | 32 | 1993 - 2020 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 0.75 | 33 | 1992 - 2020 |
| Tajikistan | 0.69 | 34 | 1992 - 2020 |
| Yemen | 0.64 | 35 | 1991 - 2020 |
| India | 0.59 | 36 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Uzbekistan | 0.51 | 37 | 1992 - 2020 |
| Indonesia | 0.5 | 38 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Japan | 0.38 | 39 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Philippines | 0.37 | 40 | 1991 - 2020 |
| China | 0.33 | 41 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Bangladesh | 0.32 | 42 | 1991 - 2020 |
| Palestine | 0 | 43 | 2005 - 2020 |
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.
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9.59
5.39
4.45
4.43
4.36
4.24
3.97
3.75
3.68
3.39
2.85
2.39
2.26
2.20
2.10
1.99
1.92
1.81
1.76
1.68
1.59
1.39
1.37
1.32
1.28
1.13
1.07
1.04
0.97
0.95
0.82
0.77
0.75
0.69
0.64
0.59
0.51
0.50
0.38
0.37
0.33
0.32
0.00
0
2.4
4.8
7.2
9.59
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