China vs Kyrgyzstan: Armed forces, share of workers

Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 0.33% of the labour force in China and 0.81% of the labour force in Kyrgyzstan, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Kyrgyzstan, by 0.48 percentage points, or 2.44 times that in China.

ChinaKyrgyzstan

Watch it change on the map

% of the labour force · IISS

ChinaKyrgyzstan

Latest figures

% of the labour force · IISS

Country	Latest	10 years before	Rank in 2020
China	0.33 2020	0.38	142 of 168
Kyrgyzstan	0.81 2020	0.86	86 of 168
World	0.79 2020	0.89

What the numbers say

Kyrgyzstan has been higher since 1997, when it overtook China.
In 2020, China ranked 142 and Kyrgyzstan ranked 86 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	China	Kyrgyzstan	World
2020	0.33	0.81	0.79
2019	0.33	0.8	0.79
2018	0.35	0.82	0.8
2017	0.35	0.86	0.8
2016	0.35	0.82	0.81
2015	0.36	0.83	0.82
2014	0.38	0.85	0.82
2013	0.38	0.88	0.83
2012	0.38	0.85	0.87
2011	0.38	0.84	0.88
2010	0.38	0.86	0.89
2009	0.38	0.88	0.89
2008	0.37	0.91	0.89
2007	0.38	0.91	0.89
2006	0.47	0.91	0.95
2005	0.5	0.79	0.96
2004	0.5	0.77	0.94
2003	0.51	0.72	0.98
2002	0.52	0.73	1
2001	0.53	0.65	1.01
2000	0.55	0.66	1.07
1999	0.55	0.58	1.09
1998	0.55	0.69	1.13
1997	0.53	0.71	1.15
1996	0.61	0.6	1.18
1995	0.62	0.35	1.2
1994	0.44	0.67	0.94
1993	0.46	0.65	0.98
1992	0.48	0.68	1.03
1991	0.5	–	1.03
1990	0.55	–	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