Small states: Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Small states' armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) fell 0.01 percentage points on 2019 (from 1.34% to 1.33%).

Across the 17 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2019), the average change was −0 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.05 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below 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 0.11 percentage points in 1998 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.09 percentage points in 2009. 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 upward, about 0.00691 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 32% 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 21 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 Small states

• Grants and other revenue (% of revenue) — 12.79% (2022)
• Social contributions (% of revenue) — 21.09% (2019)
• Interest payments (% of revenue) — 1.78% (2022)
• Taxes on goods and services (% of revenue) — 33.44% (2022)
• Taxes on income, profits and capital gains (% of revenue) — 24.12% (2022)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.32% (2025)
• Taxes on international trade (% of revenue) — 1.18% (2019)
• Compensation of employees (% of expense) — 21.87% (2022)
• Goods and services expense (% of expense) — 10.08% (2022)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

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

1.33% in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1992?

It is up 0.05 percentage points from 1.28% in 1992. The highest value was 1.72% in 1998 and the lowest 1.28% in 1992.

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

In 2020, Small states' armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) fell 0.01 percentage points on 2019 (from 1.34% to 1.33%). Across the 17 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2019), the average change was −0 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.05 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below 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.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.