New Zealand: Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, New Zealand's armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) rose 0.03 percentage points on 2019 (from 0.32% to 0.35%).

Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2019), the average change was −0.01 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.02 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.9 standard deviations above 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 0.04 percentage points in 2005 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.07 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 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.0035 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

In 2020, New Zealand had the 141st 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 New Zealand in the 2020 ranking

• Timor-Leste — 137th of 168: 0.36%
• Sierra Leone — 138th of 168: 0.35%
• Canada — 139th of 168: 0.35%
• Cameroon — 141st of 168: 0.34%
• China — 142nd of 168: 0.33%
• Bangladesh — 143rd of 168: 0.32%

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

• Australia — 0.44% (2020)
• Brunei Darussalam — 3.57% (2020)
• Cambodia — 2.01% (2020)
• China — 0.33% (2020)
• Fiji — 1.13% (2020)
• Indonesia — 0.49% (2020)
• Japan — 0.38% (2020)
• Korea, Dem. People's Rep. — 8.62% (2020)
• Korea, Rep. — 2.01% (2020)
• Lao PDR

More public sector data for New Zealand

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 2.86 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 4.91 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.1% (2025)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 200 million (2024)
• Grants and other revenue (current LCU) — 17.87 billion (2024)
• Grants and other revenue (% of revenue) — 12.04% (2024)
• Revenue, excluding grants (current LCU) — 147.96 billion (2024)
• Revenue, excluding grants (% of GDP) — 34.25% (2024)
• Taxes on goods and services (current LCU) — 39.13 billion (2024)
• Taxes on goods and services (% of revenue)

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 New Zealand's armed forces personnel (% of total labor force)?

0.35% in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1990?

It is down 0.33 percentage points from 0.68% in 1990. The highest value was 0.68% in 1990 and the lowest 0.32% in 2019.

How does New Zealand rank?

141st highest of 168 economies with data for 2020.

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

In 2020, New Zealand's armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) rose 0.03 percentage points on 2019 (from 0.32% to 0.35%). Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2019), the average change was −0.01 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.02 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.9 standard deviations above 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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