Colombia vs Mexico
Colombia vs Mexico: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 1.7% of the labour force in Colombia and 0.64% of the labour force in Mexico, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Colombia, by 1.06 percentage points, or 2.64 times that in Mexico.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Colombia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- In 2020, Colombia ranked 35 and Mexico ranked 99 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 | Colombia | Mexico | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.7 | 0.64 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 1.92 | 0.58 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 1.95 | 0.63 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 1.97 | 0.62 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 2.01 | 0.63 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 2.02 | 0.64 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 1.95 | 0.65 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 1.98 | 0.63 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 1.92 | 0.65 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 1.97 | 0.67 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 2.03 | 0.69 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 2.07 | 0.7 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 2.05 | 0.66 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 2.1 | 0.63 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 2.06 | 0.63 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 1.75 | 0.47 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 1.75 | 0.49 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 1.61 | 0.5 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 1.43 | 0.52 | 1 |
| 2001 | 1.44 | 0.52 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 1.38 | 0.54 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 1.33 | 0.51 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 1.36 | 0.51 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 1.39 | 0.52 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 1.42 | 0.54 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 1.46 | 0.55 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 0.94 | 0.52 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 0.92 | 0.54 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 0.95 | 0.56 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 0.77 | 0.58 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 0.79 | 0.6 | 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
Colombia vs Mexico
Health
- Life expectancyColombia: 77.7 years in 2023Mexico: 75.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityColombia: 1.2 per 100 live births in 2024Mexico: 1.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityColombia: 9.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023Mexico: 10.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterColombia: 73.9% in 2022Mexico: 43% in 2022
- DepressionColombia: 2.2% in 2017Mexico: 2.79% in 2017
- Suicide rateColombia: 5.5 per 100,000 people in 2017Mexico: 5.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationColombia: 52.3 million people in 2023Mexico: 130 million people in 2023
- Population growthColombia: 1.1% a year in 2023Mexico: 0.88% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateColombia: 1.65 births per woman in 2023Mexico: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationColombia: 78.8% in 2025Mexico: 80% in 2025
- Median ageColombia: 31.6 years in 2023Mexico: 28.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overColombia: 9.4% in 2023Mexico: 8% in 2023
- Net migration rateColombia: 3 per 1,000 people in 2023Mexico: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingColombia: 3.2% of GDP in 2025Mexico: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsColombia: $13.7B in 2025Mexico: $13.8B in 2025
- Military spending per personColombia: $273 in 2025Mexico: $104 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingColombia: 9.3% of government spending in 2025Mexico: 2.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelColombia: 428,000 people in 2020Mexico: 341,000 people in 2020
- National powerColombia: 0.57% of world capability in 2022Mexico: 1.14% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsColombia: 22 million TIV in 2025Mexico: 9 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsColombia: 4 million TIV in 2020Mexico: 1 million TIV in 2019