Belarus vs Ukraine
Belarus vs Ukraine: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 3.17% of the labour force in Belarus and 1.43% of the labour force in Ukraine, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Belarus, by 1.74 percentage points, or 2.22 times that in Ukraine.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Belarus has been higher since 1998, when it overtook Ukraine.
- In 2020, Belarus ranked 16 and Ukraine ranked 43 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 | Belarus | Ukraine | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3.17 | 1.43 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 3.09 | 1.45 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 3.07 | 1.38 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 3.05 | 1.37 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 3.05 | 1.34 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 3.1 | 1.17 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 3.1 | 0.93 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 3.1 | 0.55 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 3.1 | 0.97 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 3.1 | 0.96 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 3.61 | 0.96 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 3.62 | 0.95 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 3.65 | 0.95 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 3.67 | 0.95 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 3.68 | 0.95 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 3.69 | 1.2 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 3.68 | 1.18 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 3.71 | 1.75 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 3.87 | 1.8 | 1 |
| 2001 | 3.96 | 1.81 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 1.89 | 1.81 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 2.19 | 1.83 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 1.93 | 1.91 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 1.9 | 1.92 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 1.97 | 1.97 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 2.24 | 2.17 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 1.38 | 1.45 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 2.45 | 1.57 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 2.19 | 1.77 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | – | – | 1.03 |
| 1990 | – | – | 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
Belarus vs Ukraine
Health
- Life expectancyBelarus: 74.4 years in 2023Ukraine: 73.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBelarus: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024Ukraine: 0.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBelarus: 1.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Ukraine: 5.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterBelarus: 93.1% in 2022Ukraine: 87.6% in 2022
- DepressionBelarus: 4.02% in 2017Ukraine: 4.07% in 2017
- Suicide rateBelarus: 19 per 100,000 people in 2017Ukraine: 25.6 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBelarus: 9.12 million people in 2023Ukraine: 37.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthBelarus: -0.65% a year in 2023Ukraine: -1.55% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBelarus: 1.21 births per woman in 2023Ukraine: 0.98 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBelarus: 79.5% in 2025Ukraine: 69.6% in 2025
- Median ageBelarus: 40.5 years in 2023Ukraine: 42 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBelarus: 17.1% in 2023Ukraine: 18.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateBelarus: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Ukraine: -8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBelarus: 2.4% of GDP in 2025Ukraine: 39.56% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBelarus: $1.83B in 2025Ukraine: $77.6B in 2025
- Military spending per personBelarus: $215 in 2025Ukraine: $2,197 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBelarus: 5.7% of government spending in 2025Ukraine: 62.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBelarus: 158,000 people in 2020Ukraine: 298,000 people in 2020
- National powerBelarus: 0.14% of world capability in 2022Ukraine: 0.86% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsBelarus: 466 million TIV in 2025Ukraine: 2.26 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsBelarus: 1 million TIV in 2025Ukraine: 120 million TIV in 2025