Bulgaria vs Serbia
Bulgaria vs Serbia: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 1.18% of the labour force in Bulgaria and 1.01% of the labour force in Serbia, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Bulgaria, by 0.17 percentage points, or 1.16 times that in Serbia.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Bulgaria has been higher since 2018, when it overtook Serbia.
- In 2020, Bulgaria ranked 55 and Serbia ranked 66 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 | Bulgaria | Serbia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.18 | 1.01 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 1.15 | 0.99 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 1.16 | 1 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 0.96 | 0.99 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 1.45 | 0.9 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 1.44 | 0.89 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 1.42 | 0.9 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 1.41 | 0.91 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 1.42 | 0.91 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 1.91 | 0.94 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 1.87 | 0.91 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 2.11 | 0.73 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 2.14 | 0.71 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 2.19 | 0.71 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 2.56 | 3.25 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 2.52 | 3.22 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 2.55 | 3.17 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 3.01 | 3.6 | 1 |
| 2001 | 3.19 | 5.7 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 3.31 | 3.87 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 3.32 | 4.16 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 3.95 | 4.37 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 3.93 | 4.33 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 4.03 | 4.26 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 3.97 | 4.57 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 2.33 | 3.59 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 1.52 | 2.74 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 2.87 | 3.76 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 3.08 | 4.65 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 3.7 | 4.79 | 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
Bulgaria vs Serbia
Health
- Life expectancyBulgaria: 75.6 years in 2023Serbia: 76.8 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBulgaria: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Serbia: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBulgaria: 4.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Serbia: 4.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterBulgaria: 95.7% in 2022Serbia: 75.1% in 2022
- DepressionBulgaria: 2.54% in 2017Serbia: 2.57% in 2017
- Suicide rateBulgaria: 9.5 per 100,000 people in 2017Serbia: 12.7 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBulgaria: 6.8 million people in 2023Serbia: 6.77 million people in 2023
- Population growthBulgaria: -0.52% a year in 2023Serbia: -0.44% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBulgaria: 1.75 births per woman in 2023Serbia: 1.5 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBulgaria: 74.2% in 2025Serbia: 62.6% in 2025
- Median ageBulgaria: 44.3 years in 2023Serbia: 43.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBulgaria: 21.8% in 2023Serbia: 22.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateBulgaria: 0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023Serbia: 0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBulgaria: 2.01% of GDP in 2025Serbia: 2.76% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBulgaria: $2.4B in 2025Serbia: $2.55B in 2025
- Military spending per personBulgaria: $384 in 2025Serbia: $414 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBulgaria: 5.2% of government spending in 2025Serbia: 6.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBulgaria: 37,000 people in 2020Serbia: 32,000 people in 2020
- National powerBulgaria: 0.09% of world capability in 2022Serbia: 0.09% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsBulgaria: 540 million TIV in 2025Serbia: 146 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsBulgaria: 33 million TIV in 2024Serbia: 39 million TIV in 2025