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Ranking · latest available · data as of 26 October 2026 · printed 27 Oct 2026
NationsTree / Rankings / Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel (% of labour force)

Armed forces personnel as a share of the labour force. Ranked from largest to smallest.

Source: World Bank · World Development Indicators · MS.MIL.TOTL.TF.ZS

Top 5 over time

Dashed line: world median
CSV
#CountryRegionArmed forces personnel% of labour forceYear
1 Eritrea Sub-Saharan Africa 13.29% of labour force 2020
2 North Korea East Asia & Pacific 8.62% of labour force 2020
3 Syria Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 5.44% of labour force 2020
4 Djibouti Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 5.40% of labour force 2020
5 Montenegro Europe & Central Asia 4.66% of labour force 2020
6 Iraq Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 4.40% of labour force 2020
7 Israel Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 4.23% of labour force 2020
8 Lebanon Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 4.10% of labour force 2020
9 Laos East Asia & Pacific 4.08% of labour force 2020
10 Jordan Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 3.98% of labour force 2020
11 Sri Lanka South Asia 3.74% of labour force 2020
12 Brunei East Asia & Pacific 3.57% of labour force 2020
13 Venezuela Latin America & Caribbean 3.47% of labour force 2020
14 Armenia Europe & Central Asia 3.25% of labour force 2020
15 Greece Europe & Central Asia 3.20% of labour force 2020
16 Belarus Europe & Central Asia 3.17% of labour force 2020
17 Turkmenistan Europe & Central Asia 2.87% of labour force 2020
18 Algeria Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 2.81% of labour force 2020
19 Egypt Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 2.76% of labour force 2020
20 Lithuania Europe & Central Asia 2.48% of labour force 2020
21 Iran Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 2.35% of labour force 2020
22 Bahrain Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 2.33% of labour force 2020
23 Oman Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 2.12% of labour force 2020
24 Morocco Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 2.07% of labour force 2020
25 Cambodia East Asia & Pacific 2.01% of labour force 2020
26 South Korea East Asia & Pacific 2.01% of labour force 2020
27 Mauritania Sub-Saharan Africa 2.00% of labour force 2020
28 North Macedonia Europe & Central Asia 2.00% of labour force 2020
29 Russia Europe & Central Asia 1.98% of labour force 2020
30 Myanmar East Asia & Pacific 1.94% of labour force 2020
31 Saudi Arabia Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 1.92% of labour force 2020
32 Afghanistan Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 1.82% of labour force 2020
33 Cyprus Europe & Central Asia 1.81% of labour force 2020
34 Singapore East Asia & Pacific 1.72% of labour force 2020
35 Colombia Latin America & Caribbean 1.70% of labour force 2020
36 Namibia Sub-Saharan Africa 1.67% of labour force 2020
37 El Salvador Latin America & Caribbean 1.62% of labour force 2020
38 Türkiye Europe & Central Asia 1.61% of labour force 2020
39 Azerbaijan Europe & Central Asia 1.58% of labour force 2020
40 Cuba Latin America & Caribbean 1.54% of labour force 2020
41 Romania Europe & Central Asia 1.52% of labour force 2020
42 Dominican Republic Latin America & Caribbean 1.48% of labour force 2020
43 Ukraine Europe & Central Asia 1.43% of labour force 2020
44 Nepal South Asia 1.40% of labour force 2020
45 Georgia Europe & Central Asia 1.39% of labour force 2020
46 Italy Europe & Central Asia 1.35% of labour force 2020
47 Sudan Sub-Saharan Africa 1.34% of labour force 2020
48 Panama Latin America & Caribbean 1.33% of labour force 2020
49 Uruguay Latin America & Caribbean 1.32% of labour force 2020
50 Belize Latin America & Caribbean 1.32% of labour force 2020
51 Chile Latin America & Caribbean 1.28% of labour force 2020
52 Mongolia East Asia & Pacific 1.27% of labour force 2020
53 Pakistan Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 1.25% of labour force 2020
54 Bolivia Latin America & Caribbean 1.21% of labour force 2020
55 Bulgaria Europe & Central Asia 1.18% of labour force 2020
56 Tunisia Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 1.18% of labour force 2020
57 South Sudan Sub-Saharan Africa 1.17% of labour force 2020
58 Croatia Europe & Central Asia 1.17% of labour force 2020
59 Thailand East Asia & Pacific 1.13% of labour force 2020
60 Fiji East Asia & Pacific 1.13% of labour force 2020
61 Qatar Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 1.07% of labour force 2020
62 Poland Europe & Central Asia 1.04% of labour force 2020
63 Guyana Latin America & Caribbean 1.04% of labour force 2020
64 Kuwait Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 1.03% of labour force 2020
65 United Arab Emirates Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 1.02% of labour force 2020
66 Serbia Europe & Central Asia 1.01% of labour force 2020
67 Portugal Europe & Central Asia 1.01% of labour force 2020
68 France Europe & Central Asia 1.00% of labour force 2020
69 Estonia Europe & Central Asia 1.00% of labour force 2020
70 Gabon Sub-Saharan Africa 1.00% of labour force 2020
71 Hungary Europe & Central Asia 0.95% of labour force 2020
72 Vietnam East Asia & Pacific 0.95% of labour force 2020
73 Peru Latin America & Caribbean 0.94% of labour force 2020
74 Botswana Sub-Saharan Africa 0.92% of labour force 2020
75 Bahamas Latin America & Caribbean 0.92% of labour force 2020
76 Latvia Europe & Central Asia 0.92% of labour force 2020
77 Paraguay Latin America & Caribbean 0.88% of labour force 2020
78 Zimbabwe Sub-Saharan Africa 0.88% of labour force 2020
79 Spain Europe & Central Asia 0.87% of labour force 2020
80 Angola Sub-Saharan Africa 0.87% of labour force 2020
81 Norway Europe & Central Asia 0.85% of labour force 2020
82 Suriname Latin America & Caribbean 0.85% of labour force 2020
83 Chad Sub-Saharan Africa 0.85% of labour force 2020
84 United States North America 0.84% of labour force 2020
85 Bosnia and Herzegovina Europe & Central Asia 0.81% of labour force 2020
86 Kyrgyzstan Europe & Central Asia 0.81% of labour force 2020
87 Malaysia East Asia & Pacific 0.81% of labour force 2020
88 Finland Europe & Central Asia 0.80% of labour force 2020
89 Trinidad and Tobago Latin America & Caribbean 0.77% of labour force 2020
90 Brazil Latin America & Caribbean 0.76% of labour force 2020
91 Tajikistan Europe & Central Asia 0.75% of labour force 2020
92 Kazakhstan Europe & Central Asia 0.74% of labour force 2020
93 Malta Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 0.73% of labour force 2020
94 Rwanda Sub-Saharan Africa 0.70% of labour force 2020
95 Barbados Latin America & Caribbean 0.69% of labour force 2020
96 Slovenia Europe & Central Asia 0.68% of labour force 2020
97 Slovakia Europe & Central Asia 0.67% of labour force 2020
98 Albania Europe & Central Asia 0.65% of labour force 2020
99 Mexico Latin America & Caribbean 0.64% of labour force 2020
100 Guatemala Latin America & Caribbean 0.64% of labour force 2020
101 Burundi Sub-Saharan Africa 0.59% of labour force 2020
102 Yemen Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 0.58% of labour force 2020
103 India South Asia 0.58% of labour force 2020
104 Gambia Sub-Saharan Africa 0.58% of labour force 2020
105 Honduras Latin America & Caribbean 0.56% of labour force 2020
106 Congo Sub-Saharan Africa 0.55% of labour force 2020
107 Mali Sub-Saharan Africa 0.54% of labour force 2020
108 Ecuador Latin America & Caribbean 0.54% of labour force 2020
109 Central African Republic Sub-Saharan Africa 0.54% of labour force 2020
110 Guinea-Bissau Sub-Saharan Africa 0.53% of labour force 2020
111 Argentina Latin America & Caribbean 0.53% of labour force 2020
112 Uzbekistan Europe & Central Asia 0.52% of labour force 2020
113 Mauritius Sub-Saharan Africa 0.51% of labour force 2020
114 Cabo Verde Sub-Saharan Africa 0.51% of labour force 2020
115 Czechia Europe & Central Asia 0.51% of labour force 2020
116 Austria Europe & Central Asia 0.50% of labour force 2020
117 Denmark Europe & Central Asia 0.49% of labour force 2020
118 Indonesia East Asia & Pacific 0.49% of labour force 2020
119 Somalia, Fed. Rep. Sub-Saharan Africa 0.47% of labour force 2020
120 Belgium Europe & Central Asia 0.47% of labour force 2020
121 United Kingdom Europe & Central Asia 0.45% of labour force 2020
122 Australia East Asia & Pacific 0.44% of labour force 2020
123 Germany Europe & Central Asia 0.42% of labour force 2020
124 Netherlands Europe & Central Asia 0.42% of labour force 2020
125 Costa Rica Latin America & Caribbean 0.41% of labour force 2020
126 Jamaica Latin America & Caribbean 0.41% of labour force 2020
127 Moldova Europe & Central Asia 0.41% of labour force 2020
128 Nicaragua Latin America & Caribbean 0.41% of labour force 2020
129 DR Congo Sub-Saharan Africa 0.41% of labour force 2020
130 Switzerland Europe & Central Asia 0.40% of labour force 2020
131 South Africa Sub-Saharan Africa 0.40% of labour force 2020
132 Japan East Asia & Pacific 0.38% of labour force 2020
133 Togo Sub-Saharan Africa 0.38% of labour force 2020
134 Senegal Sub-Saharan Africa 0.37% of labour force 2020
135 Philippines East Asia & Pacific 0.37% of labour force 2020
136 Ireland Europe & Central Asia 0.37% of labour force 2020
137 Timor-Leste East Asia & Pacific 0.36% of labour force 2020
138 Sierra Leone Sub-Saharan Africa 0.35% of labour force 2020
139 Canada North America 0.35% of labour force 2020
140 New Zealand East Asia & Pacific 0.35% of labour force 2020
141 Cameroon Sub-Saharan Africa 0.34% of labour force 2020
142 China East Asia & Pacific 0.33% of labour force 2020
143 Bangladesh South Asia 0.32% of labour force 2020
144 Guinea Sub-Saharan Africa 0.32% of labour force 2020
145 Luxembourg Europe & Central Asia 0.31% of labour force 2020
146 Ethiopia Sub-Saharan Africa 0.28% of labour force 2020
147 Sweden Europe & Central Asia 0.27% of labour force 2020
148 Côte d'Ivoire Sub-Saharan Africa 0.25% of labour force 2020
149 Lesotho Sub-Saharan Africa 0.24% of labour force 2020
150 Zambia Sub-Saharan Africa 0.24% of labour force 2020
151 Uganda Sub-Saharan Africa 0.24% of labour force 2020
152 Nigeria Sub-Saharan Africa 0.23% of labour force 2020
153 Benin Sub-Saharan Africa 0.21% of labour force 2020
154 Malawi Sub-Saharan Africa 0.20% of labour force 2020
155 Equatorial Guinea Sub-Saharan Africa 0.16% of labour force 2020
156 Madagascar Sub-Saharan Africa 0.15% of labour force 2020
157 Ghana Sub-Saharan Africa 0.13% of labour force 2020
158 Papua New Guinea East Asia & Pacific 0.12% of labour force 2020
159 Burkina Faso Sub-Saharan Africa 0.12% of labour force 2020
160 Kenya Sub-Saharan Africa 0.11% of labour force 2020
161 Niger Sub-Saharan Africa 0.11% of labour force 2020
162 Tanzania Sub-Saharan Africa 0.10% of labour force 2020
163 Liberia Sub-Saharan Africa 0.09% of labour force 2020
164 Mozambique Sub-Saharan Africa 0.08% of labour force 2020
165 Haiti Latin America & Caribbean 0.02% of labour force 2020
166 Iceland Europe & Central Asia 0.00% of labour force 2020
166 Libya Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 0.00% of labour force 2020
166 Palestine Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 0.00% of labour force 2020
— Bhutan South Asia 2.34% of labour force 2000
— Eswatini Sub-Saharan Africa 0.98% of labour force 1999
— Maldives South Asia 5.41% of labour force 2000
— São Tomé and Príncipe Sub-Saharan Africa 5.10% of labour force 1999

Latest value per country. Ranked: countries with data from the last 5 years of the series; older values are listed below without a rank. 168 ranked.

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