Belarus's armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) was 3.17% in 2020, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 0.43 percentage points from 3.61% in 2010.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 3.17% | 2020 |
| Five years earlier | 3.1% | 2015 |
| Ten years earlier | 3.61% | 2010 |
| Highest | 3.96% | 2001 |
| Lowest | 1.38% | 1994 |
| Average since 2011 | 3.09% | 2011–2020 |
| First recorded | 2.19% | 1992 |
What the numbers say
In 2020, Belarus' armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) rose 0.09 percentage points on 2019 (from 3.08% to 3.17%).
Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2019), the average change was +0.03 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.51 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 2.07 percentage points in 2001 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.08 percentage points in 1994. 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 1% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2020, Belarus had the 17th highest value of the 168 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Belarus | 3.17% | 2020 |
| World | 0.79% | 2020 |
| Europe & Central Asia | 1.15% | 2020 |
| Upper middle income | 0.67% | 2020 |
Closest to Belarus in the 2020 ranking
- Venezuela, RB — 13th of 168: 3.47%
- Armenia — 14th of 168: 3.25%
- Greece — 15th of 168: 3.2%
- Turkmenistan — 17th of 168: 2.87%
- Algeria — 18th of 168: 2.81%
- Egypt, Arab Rep. — 19th of 168: 2.76%
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 29 values
| Year | Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 3.17 |
| 2019 | 3.08 |
| 2018 | 3.07 |
| 2017 | 3.05 |
| 2016 | 3.05 |
| 2015 | 3.1 |
| 2014 | 3.1 |
| 2013 | 3.1 |
| 2012 | 3.1 |
| 2011 | 3.1 |
| 2010 |
Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in nearby economies
- Albania — 0.65% (2020)
- Armenia — 3.25% (2020)
- Austria — 0.5% (2020)
- Azerbaijan — 1.58% (2020)
- Belgium — 0.47% (2020)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina — 0.81% (2020)
- Bulgaria — 1.18% (2020)
- Croatia — 1.17% (2020)
- Cyprus — 1.81% (2020)
- Czechia
More public sector data for Belarus
- Military expenditure (current LCU) — 6.35 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 2.4% (2025)
- Net incurrence of liabilities, total (current LCU) — 3.4 billion (2024)
- Net incurrence of liabilities, total (% of GDP) — 1.33% (2024)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 4.76 billion (2024)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets (% of GDP) — 1.87% (2024)
- Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) — 3.24 billion (2024)
- Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) — 1.27% (2024)
- Grants and other revenue (current LCU) — 18.14 billion (2024)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Belarus's armed forces personnel (% of total labor force)?
- 3.17% in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1992?
- It is up 0.98 percentage points from 2.19% in 1992. The highest value was 3.96% in 2001 and the lowest 1.38% in 1994.
- How does Belarus rank?
- 17th highest of 168 economies with data for 2020.
- Is the latest change in armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) unusual for Belarus?
- In 2020, Belarus' armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) rose 0.09 percentage points on 2019 (from 3.08% to 3.17%). Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2019), the average change was +0.03 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.51 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
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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