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 165 countries was 1.26 percent. The highest value was in Eritrea: 12.36 percent and the lowest value was in Iceland: 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
Select indicator
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series


Countries Armed forces, percent of labor force, 2020 Global rank Available data
Eritrea 12.36 1 1993 - 2020
North Korea 9.59 2 1991 - 2020
Djibouti 5.52 3 1991 - 2020
Syria 5.39 4 1991 - 2020
Iraq 4.45 5 1991 - 2020
Lebanon 4.43 6 1991 - 2020
Montenegro 4.43 7 2006 - 2020
Laos 4.36 8 1991 - 2020
Israel 4.24 9 1991 - 2020
Jordan 3.97 10 1991 - 2020
Sri Lanka 3.75 11 1991 - 2020
Brunei 3.68 12 1991 - 2020
Armenia 3.39 13 1992 - 2020
Venezuela 3.3 14 1991 - 2020
Greece 3.2 15 1991 - 2020
Belarus 3.13 16 1992 - 2020
Turkmenistan 2.85 17 1992 - 2020
Egypt 2.8 18 1991 - 2020
Algeria 2.74 19 1991 - 2020
Lithuania 2.5 20 1992 - 2020
Iran 2.39 21 1991 - 2020
Bahrain 2.26 22 1991 - 2020
Cambodia 2.2 23 1991 - 2020
Oman 2.1 24 1991 - 2020
Morocco 2.06 25 1991 - 2020
Mauritania 2 26 1991 - 2020
Cyprus 1.99 27 1991 - 2020
Russia 1.99 28 1992 - 2020
South Korea 1.99 29 1991 - 2020
Burma 1.92 30 1991 - 2020
Afghanistan 1.81 31 1991 - 2020
Saudi Arabia 1.76 32 1991 - 2020
Namibia 1.75 33 1991 - 2020
Colombia 1.7 34 1991 - 2020
North Macedonia 1.69 35 1992 - 2020
Singapore 1.68 36 1991 - 2020
Turkey 1.63 37 1991 - 2020
El Salvador 1.6 38 1991 - 2020
Azerbaijan 1.59 39 1992 - 2020
Domin. Rep. 1.48 40 1991 - 2020
Panama 1.45 41 1991 - 2020
Ukraine 1.45 42 1992 - 2020
Romania 1.44 43 1991 - 2020
Georgia 1.39 44 1993 - 2020
Nepal 1.37 45 1991 - 2020
Italy 1.35 46 1991 - 2020
Mongolia 1.32 47 1991 - 2020
Uruguay 1.31 48 1991 - 2020
Chile 1.29 49 1991 - 2020
Pakistan 1.28 50 1991 - 2020
Bolivia 1.24 51 1991 - 2020
Tunisia 1.17 52 1991 - 2020
Belize 1.16 53 1991 - 2020
Sudan 1.15 54 1991 - 2020
Croatia 1.13 55 1992 - 2020
Thailand 1.13 56 1991 - 2020
Bulgaria 1.12 57 1991 - 2020
Fiji 1.1 58 1991 - 2020
Guyana 1.07 59 1991 - 2020
Qatar 1.07 60 1991 - 2020
Gabon 1.05 61 1991 - 2020
Kuwait 1.04 62 1991 - 2020
Poland 1.04 63 1991 - 2020
Portugal 1.01 64 1991 - 2020
France 1 65 1991 - 2020
Estonia 0.99 66 1992 - 2020
Serbia 0.99 67 1991 - 2020
Hungary 0.97 68 1991 - 2020
UA Emirates 0.97 69 1991 - 2020
Vietnam 0.95 70 1991 - 2020
Peru 0.94 71 1991 - 2020
Latvia 0.91 72 1992 - 2020
Bahamas 0.9 73 1995 - 2020
Norway 0.88 74 1991 - 2020
Paraguay 0.88 75 1991 - 2020
Chad 0.87 76 1991 - 2020
Spain 0.87 77 1991 - 2020
Angola 0.85 78 1991 - 2020
Botswana 0.85 79 1991 - 2020
Suriname 0.85 80 1991 - 2020
Zimbabwe 0.85 81 1991 - 2020
USA 0.84 82 1991 - 2020
Bosnia & Herz. 0.83 83 1992 - 2020
Malaysia 0.82 84 1991 - 2020
Finland 0.8 85 1991 - 2020
Kazakhstan 0.77 86 1993 - 2020
Brazil 0.75 87 1991 - 2020
Kyrgyzstan 0.75 88 1992 - 2020
Tr.&Tobago 0.74 89 1991 - 2020
Malta 0.73 90 1991 - 2020
Barbados 0.71 91 1995 - 2020
Rwanda 0.7 92 1991 - 2020
Tajikistan 0.69 93 1992 - 2020
Slovenia 0.68 94 1992 - 2020
Guatemala 0.67 95 1991 - 2020
Slovakia 0.66 96 1993 - 2020
Mexico 0.64 97 1991 - 2020
Yemen 0.64 98 1991 - 2020
Burundi 0.61 99 1991 - 2020
G.-Bissau 0.61 100 1991 - 2020
Albania 0.59 101 1992 - 2020
India 0.59 102 1991 - 2020
Mali 0.56 103 1991 - 2020
Honduras 0.55 104 1991 - 2020
Ecuador 0.54 105 1991 - 2020
R. of Congo 0.54 106 1991 - 2020
Argentina 0.53 107 1991 - 2020
C.A. Republic 0.52 108 1991 - 2020
Mauritius 0.52 109 1991 - 2020
Uzbekistan 0.51 110 1992 - 2020
Austria 0.5 111 1991 - 2020
Czechia 0.5 112 1993 - 2020
Denmark 0.5 113 1991 - 2020
Indonesia 0.5 114 1991 - 2020
Somalia 0.48 115 1995 - 2020
Belgium 0.46 116 1991 - 2020
Gambia 0.46 117 1991 - 2020
Australia 0.44 118 1991 - 2020
UK 0.44 119 1991 - 2020
Cape Verde 0.43 120 1991 - 2020
Netherlands 0.43 121 1991 - 2020
Germany 0.42 122 1991 - 2020
Costa Rica 0.41 123 1991 - 2020
DR Congo 0.41 124 1991 - 2020
Jamaica 0.41 125 1991 - 2020
Moldova 0.41 126 1992 - 2020
Nicaragua 0.4 127 1991 - 2020
Senegal 0.4 128 1991 - 2020
Switzerland 0.4 129 1991 - 2020
South Africa 0.39 130 1991 - 2020
Japan 0.38 131 1991 - 2020
Ireland 0.37 132 1991 - 2020
Philippines 0.37 133 1991 - 2020
Canada 0.35 134 1991 - 2020
New Zealand 0.35 135 1991 - 2020
Togo 0.35 136 1991 - 2020
Sierra Leone 0.34 137 1991 - 2020
China 0.33 138 1991 - 2020
Bangladesh 0.32 139 1991 - 2020
Guinea 0.32 140 1991 - 2020
Nigeria 0.32 141 1991 - 2020
Cameroon 0.31 142 1991 - 2020
Luxembourg 0.31 143 1991 - 2020
Uganda 0.28 144 1991 - 2020
Benin 0.27 145 1991 - 2020
Ivory Coast 0.27 146 1991 - 2020
Sweden 0.27 147 1991 - 2020
Ethiopia 0.25 148 1991 - 2020
Zambia 0.25 149 1991 - 2020
Lesotho 0.21 150 1991 - 2020
Malawi 0.2 151 1991 - 2020
Eq. Guinea 0.19 152 1991 - 2020
Madagascar 0.15 153 1991 - 2020
Burkina Faso 0.14 154 1991 - 2020
Papua N.G. 0.13 155 1991 - 2020
Ghana 0.12 156 1991 - 2020
Niger 0.11 157 1991 - 2020
Kenya 0.1 158 1991 - 2020
Tanzania 0.1 159 1991 - 2020
Liberia 0.09 160 1991 - 2020
Mozambique 0.08 161 1991 - 2020
Haiti 0.02 162 1991 - 2020
Iceland 0 163 1995 - 2020
Libya 0 164 1991 - 2020
Palestine 0 165 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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All articles

1. Eritrea
2. North Korea
3. Djibouti
4. Syria
5. Iraq
6. Lebanon
7. Montenegro
8. Laos
9. Israel
10. Jordan
11. Sri Lanka
12. Brunei
13. Armenia
14. Venezuela
15. Greece
16. Belarus
17. Turkmenistan
18. Egypt
19. Algeria
20. Lithuania
21. Iran
22. Bahrain
23. Cambodia
24. Oman
25. Morocco
26. Mauritania
27. Cyprus
28. Russia
29. South Korea
30. Burma
31. Afghanistan
32. Saudi Arabia
33. Namibia
34. Colombia
35. North Macedonia
36. Singapore
37. Turkey
38. El Salvador
39. Azerbaijan
40. Domin. Rep.
41. Panama
42. Ukraine
43. Romania
44. Georgia
45. Nepal
46. Italy
47. Mongolia
48. Uruguay
49. Chile
50. Pakistan
51. Bolivia
52. Tunisia
53. Belize
54. Sudan
55. Croatia
56. Thailand
57. Bulgaria
58. Fiji
59. Guyana
60. Qatar
61. Gabon
62. Kuwait
63. Poland
64. Portugal
65. France
66. Estonia
67. Serbia
68. Hungary
69. UA Emirates
70. Vietnam
71. Peru
72. Latvia
73. Bahamas
74. Norway
75. Paraguay
76. Chad
77. Spain
78. Angola
79. Botswana
80. Suriname
81. Zimbabwe
82. USA
83. Bosnia & Herz.
84. Malaysia
85. Finland
86. Kazakhstan
87. Brazil
88. Kyrgyzstan
89. Tr.&Tobago
90. Malta
91. Barbados
92. Rwanda
93. Tajikistan
94. Slovenia
95. Guatemala
96. Slovakia
97. Mexico
98. Yemen
99. Burundi
100. G.-Bissau
101. Albania
102. India
103. Mali
104. Honduras
105. Ecuador
106. R. of Congo
107. Argentina
108. C.A. Republic
109. Mauritius
110. Uzbekistan
111. Austria
112. Czechia
113. Denmark
114. Indonesia
115. Somalia
116. Belgium
117. Gambia
118. Australia
119. UK
120. Cape Verde
121. Netherlands
122. Germany
123. Costa Rica
124. DR Congo
125. Jamaica
126. Moldova
127. Nicaragua
128. Senegal
129. Switzerland
130. South Africa
131. Japan
132. Ireland
133. Philippines
134. Canada
135. New Zealand
136. Togo
137. Sierra Leone
138. China
139. Bangladesh
140. Guinea
141. Nigeria
142. Cameroon
143. Luxembourg
144. Uganda
145. Benin
146. Ivory Coast
147. Sweden
148. Ethiopia
149. Zambia
150. Lesotho
151. Malawi
152. Eq. Guinea
153. Madagascar
154. Burkina Faso
155. Papua N.G.
156. Ghana
157. Niger
158. Kenya
159. Tanzania
160. Liberia
161. Mozambique
162. Haiti
163. Iceland
164. Libya
165. Palestine
12.36
9.59
5.52
5.39
4.45
4.43
4.43
4.36
4.24
3.97
3.75
3.68
3.39
3.30
3.20
3.13
2.85
2.80
2.74
2.50
2.39
2.26
2.20
2.10
2.06
2.00
1.99
1.99
1.99
1.92
1.81
1.76
1.75
1.70
1.69
1.68
1.63
1.60
1.59
1.48
1.45
1.45
1.44
1.39
1.37
1.35
1.32
1.31
1.29
1.28
1.24
1.17
1.16
1.15
1.13
1.13
1.12
1.10
1.07
1.07
1.05
1.04
1.04
1.01
1.00
0.99
0.99
0.97
0.97
0.95
0.94
0.91
0.90
0.88
0.88
0.87
0.87
0.85
0.85
0.85
0.85
0.84
0.83
0.82
0.80
0.77
0.75
0.75
0.74
0.73
0.71
0.70
0.69
0.68
0.67
0.66
0.64
0.64
0.61
0.61
0.59
0.59
0.56
0.55
0.54
0.54
0.53
0.52
0.52
0.51
0.50
0.50
0.50
0.50
0.48
0.46
0.46
0.44
0.44
0.43
0.43
0.42
0.41
0.41
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
0.32
0.32
0.32
0.31
0.31
0.28
0.27
0.27
0.27
0.25
0.25
0.21
0.20
0.19
0.15
0.14
0.13
0.12
0.11
0.10
0.10
0.09
0.08
0.02
0.00
0.00
0.00
0
3.1
6.2
9.3
12.36


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