Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 0.32% of the labour force in Bangladesh and 3.74% of the labour force in Sri Lanka, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Sri Lanka, by 3.41 percentage points, or 12 times that in Bangladesh.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Sri Lanka has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- In 2020, Bangladesh ranked 143 and Sri Lanka ranked 11 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 | Bangladesh | Sri Lanka | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0.32 | 3.74 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 0.33 | 3.65 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 0.34 | 3.72 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 0.33 | 3.61 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 0.35 | 3.55 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 0.36 | 3.13 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 0.36 | 2.77 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 0.37 | 2.78 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 0.37 | 2.68 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 0.37 | 2.69 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 0.38 | 2.69 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 0.38 | 2.7 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 0.39 | 2.58 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 0.4 | 2.59 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 0.39 | 2.6 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 0.47 | 2.45 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 0.47 | 2.94 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 0.36 | 2.98 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 0.39 | 3.07 | 1 |
| 2001 | 0.4 | 2.63 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 0.28 | 2.6 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 0.4 | 2.77 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 0.37 | 2.85 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 0.38 | 3.14 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 0.38 | 3.18 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 0.4 | 3.45 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 0.28 | 1.59 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 0.27 | 1.64 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 0.28 | 1.69 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 0.29 | 1.66 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 0.28 | 0.32 | 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
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka
Health
- Life expectancyBangladesh: 74.7 years in 2023Sri Lanka: 77.5 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBangladesh: 3.1 per 100 live births in 2024Sri Lanka: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBangladesh: 22.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023Sri Lanka: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterBangladesh: 59.1% in 2022Sri Lanka: 47.1% in 2022
- DepressionBangladesh: 4.11% in 2017Sri Lanka: 3.44% in 2017
- Suicide rateBangladesh: 6 per 100,000 people in 2017Sri Lanka: 19.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBangladesh: 172 million people in 2023Sri Lanka: 23 million people in 2023
- Population growthBangladesh: 1.21% a year in 2023Sri Lanka: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBangladesh: 2.16 births per woman in 2023Sri Lanka: 1.97 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBangladesh: 33.2% in 2025Sri Lanka: 20.5% in 2025
- Median ageBangladesh: 25.3 years in 2023Sri Lanka: 32.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBangladesh: 6.3% in 2023Sri Lanka: 11.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateBangladesh: -3.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Sri Lanka: -1.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBangladesh: 0.81% of GDP in 2025Sri Lanka: 1.31% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBangladesh: $3.67B in 2025Sri Lanka: $1.36B in 2025
- Military spending per personBangladesh: $22 in 2025Sri Lanka: $60 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBangladesh: 7.1% of government spending in 2025Sri Lanka: 4.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBangladesh: 227,000 people in 2020Sri Lanka: 317,000 people in 2020
- National powerBangladesh: 1.01% of world capability in 2022Sri Lanka: 0.31% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsBangladesh: 32 million TIV in 2025Sri Lanka: 11 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsBangladesh: 2 million TIV in 1984Sri Lanka: 8 million TIV in 1998