Cyprus: Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Cyprus' armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) fell 0.43 percentage points on 2019 (from 2.24% to 1.81%).

Across the 26 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2019), the average change was −0.05 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.22 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.44 percentage points in 2016 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.93 percentage points in 1997. 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 3% 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, Cyprus had the 33rd 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.

Closest to Cyprus in the 2020 ranking

• Myanmar — 30th of 168: 1.94%
• Saudi Arabia — 31st of 168: 1.92%
• Afghanistan — 32nd of 168: 1.82%
• Singapore — 34th of 168: 1.72%
• Colombia — 35th of 168: 1.7%
• Namibia — 36th of 168: 1.67%

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

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)
• Belarus — 3.17% (2020)
• Belgium — 0.47% (2020)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 0.81% (2020)
• Bulgaria — 1.18% (2020)
• Croatia — 1.17% (2020)
• Czechia

More public sector data for Cyprus

• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 832 million (2024)
• Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) — 1.45 billion (2024)
• Social contributions (current LCU) — 4.52 billion (2024)
• Social contributions (% of revenue) — 31.75% (2024)
• Revenue, excluding grants (current LCU) — 13.87 billion (2024)
• Taxes on goods and services (current LCU) — 4.14 billion (2024)
• Taxes on goods and services (% of revenue) — 29.06% (2024)
• Other taxes (current LCU) — 472.6 million (2024)
• Other taxes (% of revenue) — 3.32% (2024)
• Tax revenue (current LCU)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

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

1.81% in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1990?

It is down 0.99 percentage points from 2.8% in 1990. The highest value was 3.54% in 1995 and the lowest 1.81% in 2020.

How does Cyprus rank?

33rd highest of 168 economies with data for 2020.

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

In 2020, Cyprus' armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) fell 0.43 percentage points on 2019 (from 2.24% to 1.81%). Across the 26 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2019), the average change was −0.05 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.22 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

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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