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

Armed forces as a share of the labor force — South Asia

Armed forces as a share of the labor force in South Asia in 2020 — 0.6%. Since 1990, the indicator has risen by 0.2 pp.

2020 0.6% +0 pp vs 2019
World rank —
Period maximum 0.69%2005
Period minimum 0.39%1994

Trend over time

1990–2020 · % of labor force

Armed forces as a share of the labor force — South Asia, 1990–20200.30.40.50.60.7199019931996199920022005200820112014201720201990: 0.4%1991: 0.42%1992: 0.41%1993: 0.4%1994: 0.39%1995: 0.65%1996: 0.64%1997: 0.63%1998: 0.62%1999: 0.6%2000: 0.6%2001: 0.59%2002: 0.59%2003: 0.59%2004: 0.63%2005: 0.69%2006: 0.6%2007: 0.59%2008: 0.59%2009: 0.6%2010: 0.6%2011: 0.59%2012: 0.6%2013: 0.6%2014: 0.59%2015: 0.6%2016: 0.62%2017: 0.61%2018: 0.61%2019: 0.6%2020: 0.6%
Change over the period: +0.2 pp Annual average: 0.01 pp

Comparison, 2020

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

South Asia 0.6%
World 0.79%
Armed forces as a share of the labor force — South Asia, by year South Asia All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2020 0.6 +0 pp
2019 0.6 −0.01 pp
2018 0.61 −0.01 pp
2017 0.61 −0.01 pp
2016 0.62 +0.03 pp
2015 0.6 +0.01 pp
2014 0.59 −0.01 pp
2013 0.6 −0.01 pp
2012 0.6 +0.01 pp
2011 0.59 −0 pp
2010 0.6 −0 pp
2009 0.6 +0.01 pp
2008 0.59 −0 pp
2007 0.59 −0.01 pp
2006 0.6 −0.1 pp
2005 0.69 +0.06 pp
2004 0.63 +0.05 pp
2003 0.59 −0.01 pp
2002 0.59 +0 pp
2001 0.59 −0.01 pp
2000 0.6 −0.01 pp
1999 0.6 −0.02 pp
1998 0.62 −0.01 pp
1997 0.63 −0.01 pp
1996 0.64 −0 pp
1995 0.65 +0.26 pp
1994 0.39 −0.01 pp
1993 0.4 −0.01 pp
1992 0.41 −0.01 pp
1991 0.42 +0.02 pp
1990 0.4 —

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 South Asia

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.

South Asia by year Defense Armed forces personnel

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

South Asia by year Labor Labor force

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

South Asia by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

South Asia by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

South Asia by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

South Asia by year
All indicators for South Asia