Iran vs Syria: Armed forces, share of workers

Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 2.35% of the labour force in Iran and 5.44% of the labour force in Syria, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Syria, by 3.09 percentage points, or 2.31 times that in Iran.

Watch it change on the map

% of the labour force · IISS

IranSyriaWorld

What the numbers say

Syria has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
In 2020, Iran ranked 21 and Syria ranked 3 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	Iran	Syria	World
2020	2.35	5.44	0.79
2019	2.23	5.47	0.79
2018	2.24	5.61	0.8
2017	1.97	5.43	0.8
2016	2.04	7.1	0.81
2015	2.13	6.37	0.82
2014	2.21	6.09	0.82
2013	2.22	3.51	0.83
2012	2.21	3.14	0.87
2011	2.31	2.81	0.88
2010	2.25	6.57	0.89
2009	2.24	6.71	0.89
2008	2.32	6.67	0.89
2007	2.25	6.86	0.89
2006	2.36	7.2	0.95
2005	2.39	7.79	0.96
2004	1.98	7.92	0.94
2003	2.63	8.3	0.98
2002	2.64	8.42	1
2001	2.71	8.58	1.01
2000	3.87	8.63	1.07
1999	4.22	9.01	1.09
1998	4.61	9.52	1.13
1997	5.1	9.89	1.15
1996	5.27	12.69	1.18
1995	4.75	13.24	1.2
1994	3.34	8.15	0.94
1993	3.33	10.62	0.98
1992	3.31	11.04	1.03
1991	2.95	11.45	1.03
1990	2.86	11.9	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

Iran vs Syria: Armed forces, share of workers

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

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