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

Armed forces as a share of the labor force — North America

Armed forces as a share of the labor force in North America in 2020 — 0.78%. Since 1990, the indicator has fallen by 0.81 pp.

2020 0.78% +0.01 pp vs 2019
World rank
Period maximum 1.59%1990
Period minimum 0.77%2019

Trend over time

1990–2020 · % of labor force

Armed forces as a share of the labor force — North America, 1990–20200.7511.251.51.75199019931996199920022005200820112014201720201990: 1.59%1991: 1.54%1992: 1.38%1993: 1.29%1994: 1.2%1995: 1.13%1996: 1.07%1997: 1.02%1998: 1.05%1999: 1.02%2000: 0.93%2001: 0.9%2002: 0.92%2003: 0.92%2004: 0.91%2005: 0.95%2006: 0.9%2007: 0.93%2008: 0.91%2009: 0.92%2010: 0.92%2011: 0.89%2012: 0.87%2013: 0.83%2014: 0.8%2015: 0.78%2016: 0.77%2017: 0.77%2018: 0.77%2019: 0.77%2020: 0.78%
Change over the period: −0.81 pp Annual average: -0.03 pp

Comparison, 2020

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

North America 0.78%
World 0.79%
Armed forces as a share of the labor force — North America, by year North America All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2020 0.78 +0.01 pp
2019 0.77 −0.01 pp
2018 0.77 +0 pp
2017 0.77 −0 pp
2016 0.77 −0.01 pp
2015 0.78 −0.03 pp
2014 0.8 −0.03 pp
2013 0.83 −0.04 pp
2012 0.87 −0.02 pp
2011 0.89 −0.03 pp
2010 0.92 +0 pp
2009 0.92 +0.01 pp
2008 0.91 −0.02 pp
2007 0.93 +0.02 pp
2006 0.9 −0.04 pp
2005 0.95 +0.03 pp
2004 0.91 −0.01 pp
2003 0.92 +0 pp
2002 0.92 +0.02 pp
2001 0.9 −0.03 pp
2000 0.93 −0.09 pp
1999 1.02 −0.03 pp
1998 1.05 +0.02 pp
1997 1.02 −0.05 pp
1996 1.07 −0.06 pp
1995 1.13 −0.07 pp
1994 1.2 −0.09 pp
1993 1.29 −0.09 pp
1992 1.38 −0.16 pp
1991 1.54 −0.05 pp
1990 1.59

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.