Arab World: Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Arab World's armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) rose 0.1 percentage points on 2019 (from 2.23% to 2.33%).

Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2019), the average change was −0.11 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.41 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 1.08 percentage points in 1995 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.57 percentage points in 1991. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2011 to 2020 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.08 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 57% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

What this measures

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.

Limitations: Data exclude personnel not on active duty, therefore they underestimate the share of the labor force working for the defense establishment. Governments rarely report the size of their armed forces, so such data typically come from intelligence sources. Unless otherwise indicated, reserves includes all reservists committed to rejoining the armed forces in an emergency, except when national reserve service obligations following conscription last almost a lifetime.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 31 values

Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 1.82% (2020)
• Algeria — 2.81% (2020)
• Bahrain — 2.33% (2020)
• Djibouti — 5.4% (2020)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 2.76% (2020)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 2.35% (2020)
• Iraq — 4.4% (2020)
• Israel — 4.23% (2020)
• Jordan — 3.98% (2020)
• Kuwait

More public sector data for Arab World

• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 6.63 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 144.84 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 5.06% (2025)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 3.07 million (2020)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 20.89% (2025)
• CPIA business regulatory environment rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2.43 (2025)
• CPIA debt policy rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2 (2025)
• CPIA economic management cluster average (1=low to 6=high) — 2.43 (2025)
• CPIA policy and institutions for environmental sustainability rating (1=low to 6=high)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Arab World's armed forces personnel (% of total labor force)?

2.33% in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1990?

It is down 3.23 percentage points from 5.56% in 1990. The highest value was 5.56% in 1990 and the lowest 2.17% in 2017.

Is the latest change in armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) unusual for Arab World?

In 2020, Arab World's armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) rose 0.1 percentage points on 2019 (from 2.23% to 2.33%). Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2019), the average change was −0.11 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.41 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator MS.MIL.TOTL.TF.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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