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Armed forces as a share of the labor force — all countries

Armed forces as a share of the labor force — Iraq

Armed forces as a share of the labor force in Iraq in 2020 — 4.4%. Ranked 6 in the world out of 168. Since 1990, the indicator has fallen by 29.59 pp.

2020 4.4% +1.05 pp vs 2019
World rank 6of 168
Period maximum 33.98%1990
Period minimum 2.03%2013

Trend over time

1990–2020 · % of labor force

Armed forces as a share of the labor force — Iraq, 1990–2020010203040199019931996199920022005200820112014201720201990: 33.98%1991: 11.46%1992: 9.52%1993: 9.05%1994: 8.99%1995: 8.31%1996: 8.53%1997: 8.46%1998: 8.85%1999: 8.56%2000: 8.27%2001: 7.8%2002: 6.98%2003: 6.76%2004: 2.71%2005: 3.33%2006: 7.18%2007: 5.28%2008: 8.23%2009: 9.05%2010: 10.66%2011: 10.29%2012: 9.85%2013: 2.03%2014: 2.24%2015: 2.17%2016: 2.1%2017: 2.1%2018: 3.33%2019: 3.34%2020: 4.4%
Change over the period: −29.59 pp Annual average: -0.99 pp

Comparison, 2020

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Iraq

Iraq 4.4%
World 0.79%
Middle East & North Africa 2.07%
Western Asia computed 2.24%
Upper-middle-income countries computed 0.6%
Armed forces as a share of the labor force — Iraq, by year Iraq All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2020 4.4 +1.05 pp
2019 3.34 +0.01 pp
2018 3.33 +1.23 pp
2017 2.1 +0 pp
2016 2.1 −0.07 pp
2015 2.17 −0.07 pp
2014 2.24 +0.22 pp
2013 2.03 −7.82 pp
2012 9.85 −0.44 pp
2011 10.29 −0.36 pp
2010 10.66 +1.61 pp
2009 9.05 +0.82 pp
2008 8.23 +2.95 pp
2007 5.28 −1.91 pp
2006 7.18 +3.85 pp
2005 3.33 +0.62 pp
2004 2.71 −4.04 pp
2003 6.76 −0.22 pp
2002 6.98 −0.82 pp
2001 7.8 −0.47 pp
2000 8.27 −0.29 pp
1999 8.56 −0.29 pp
1998 8.85 +0.4 pp
1997 8.46 −0.07 pp
1996 8.53 +0.22 pp
1995 8.31 −0.68 pp
1994 8.99 −0.06 pp
1993 9.05 −0.47 pp
1992 9.52 −1.94 pp
1991 11.46 −22.53 pp
1990 33.98 —

Western Asia, 2020

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

SY Syria 5.44 IQ Iraq 4.4 IL Israel 4.23 LB Lebanon 4.1 JO Jordan 3.98 AM Armenia 3.25 BH Bahrain 2.33 OM Oman 2.12 SA Saudi Arabia 1.92 CY Cyprus 1.81 TR Türkiye 1.61 AZ Azerbaijan 1.58 GE Georgia 1.39 QA Qatar 1.07 KW Kuwait 1.03 AE United Arab Emirates 1.02 YE Yemen 0.58 PS Palestine 0
Full table for all countries

About the indicator

Military personnel on active duty as a percent of the total labor force of the country. Data of the International Institute for Strategic Studies and SIPRI through the World Bank database. The indicator measures not military power but the economic cost of an army in human resources: what share of those able to work is occupied by service rather than by production.

Important: It differs from the share of population in its denominator: where the share of children and the elderly is large, the same army gives a higher value by this indicator.

Source: Military Expenditure Database (SIPRI), license SIPRI terms of use.

Other indicators for Iraq

Defense Armed forces as a share of the population

What share of a country’s population military personnel make up — a measure of how militarized a society is.

Iraq by year Defense Armed forces personnel

The number of active-duty military personnel and paramilitary forces.

Iraq by year Labor Labor force

The number of people employed or actively looking for work — the economically active population.

Iraq by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

Iraq by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

Iraq by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

Iraq by year
All indicators for Iraq