Australia vs Singapore
Australia vs Singapore: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 0.44% of the labour force in Australia and 1.72% of the labour force in Singapore, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Singapore, by 1.28 percentage points, or 3.89 times that in Australia.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Singapore has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- In 2020, Australia ranked 122 and Singapore ranked 34 of 168 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 0.79% of the labour force in 2020.
Every year
% of the labour force · IISS
| Year | Australia | Singapore | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0.44 | 1.72 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 0.43 | 1.71 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 0.44 | 1.74 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 0.45 | 2.39 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 0.45 | 4.35 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 0.46 | 4.39 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 0.46 | 4.52 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 0.47 | 4.64 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 0.47 | 4.72 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 0.48 | 4.9 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 0.48 | 5.02 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 0.49 | 5.2 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 0.49 | 6.1 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 0.5 | 6.6 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 0.48 | 6.88 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 0.51 | 7.26 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 0.51 | 7.46 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 0.53 | 7.76 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 0.52 | 7.13 | 1 |
| 2001 | 0.53 | 7 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 0.54 | 7.88 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 0.6 | 8.65 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 0.63 | 8.73 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 0.64 | 9 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 0.64 | 3.47 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 0.63 | 3.67 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 0.74 | 3.28 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 0.79 | 3.42 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 0.79 | 3.54 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 0.8 | 3.68 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 0.8 | 3.83 | 1.11 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel as a share of everyone working or looking for work, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 168 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Australia vs Singapore
Health
- Life expectancyAustralia: 83.9 years in 2023Singapore: 83.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityAustralia: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Singapore: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityAustralia: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023Singapore: 1.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionAustralia: 4.62% in 2017Singapore: 3.44% in 2017
- Suicide rateAustralia: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Singapore: 7.3 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationAustralia: 26.5 million people in 2023Singapore: 5.79 million people in 2023
- Population growthAustralia: 0.99% a year in 2023Singapore: 0.81% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateAustralia: 1.64 births per woman in 2023Singapore: 0.94 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationAustralia: 87.7% in 2025Singapore: 100% in 2025
- Median ageAustralia: 37.8 years in 2023Singapore: 35.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overAustralia: 17.4% in 2023Singapore: 13.1% in 2023
- Net migration rateAustralia: 5.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Singapore: 4.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingAustralia: 1.92% of GDP in 2025Singapore: 3.05% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsAustralia: $35.3B in 2025Singapore: $16.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personAustralia: $1,316 in 2025Singapore: $2,980 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingAustralia: 4.9% of government spending in 2025Singapore: 18% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelAustralia: 60,000 people in 2020Singapore: 59,000 people in 2020
- National powerAustralia: 0.6% of world capability in 2022Singapore: 0.25% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsAustralia: 826 million TIV in 2025Singapore: 57 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsAustralia: 108 million TIV in 2025Singapore: 79 million TIV in 2025