Belgium vs Portugal
Belgium vs Portugal: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 0.47% of the labour force in Belgium and 1.01% of the labour force in Portugal, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Portugal, by 0.54 percentage points, or 2.16 times that in Belgium.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Portugal has been higher since 1994, when it overtook Belgium.
- In 2020, Belgium ranked 120 and Portugal ranked 67 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 | Belgium | Portugal | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0.47 | 1.01 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 0.51 | 0.99 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 0.62 | 1 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 0.64 | 1 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 0.68 | 1.44 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 0.73 | 1.42 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 0.75 | 1.5 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 0.76 | 1.51 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 0.62 | 1.68 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 0.7 | 1.67 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 0.73 | 1.65 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 0.82 | 1.66 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 0.82 | 1.65 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 0.82 | 1.65 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 0.86 | 1.66 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 0.8 | 1.68 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 0.93 | 1.7 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 0.9 | 1.66 | 1 |
| 2001 | 0.91 | 1.69 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 0.89 | 1.73 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 0.96 | 1.75 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 1.03 | 1.85 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 1.05 | 2.02 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 1.1 | 2.14 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 1.13 | 2.17 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 1.27 | 2.55 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 1.71 | 1.43 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 1.94 | 1.69 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 2.51 | 1.76 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 2.69 | 1.84 | 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
Belgium vs Portugal
Health
- Life expectancyBelgium: 82.1 years in 2023Portugal: 82.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBelgium: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Portugal: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBelgium: 3.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023Portugal: 2.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterBelgium: 99.7% in 2022Portugal: 95.2% in 2022
- DepressionBelgium: 4.11% in 2017Portugal: 4.42% in 2017
- Suicide rateBelgium: 14.3 per 100,000 people in 2017Portugal: 7.7 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBelgium: 11.7 million people in 2023Portugal: 10.4 million people in 2023
- Population growthBelgium: 0.25% a year in 2023Portugal: -0% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBelgium: 1.38 births per woman in 2023Portugal: 1.51 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBelgium: 87.7% in 2025Portugal: 61.5% in 2025
- Median ageBelgium: 41.4 years in 2023Portugal: 46.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBelgium: 20.2% in 2023Portugal: 24.1% in 2023
- Net migration rateBelgium: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Portugal: 2.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBelgium: 2.01% of GDP in 2025Portugal: 1.71% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBelgium: $13.6B in 2025Portugal: $5.51B in 2025
- Military spending per personBelgium: $1,237 in 2025Portugal: $563 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBelgium: 3.7% of government spending in 2025Portugal: 4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBelgium: 24,000 people in 2020Portugal: 52,000 people in 2020
- National powerBelgium: 0.22% of world capability in 2022Portugal: 0.12% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsBelgium: 430 million TIV in 2025Portugal: 90 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsBelgium: 86 million TIV in 2025Portugal: 1 million TIV in 2025