Iraq vs Syria

Iraq vs Syria: Armed forces, share of workers

Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 4.4% of the labour force in Iraq and 5.44% of the labour force in Syria, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Syria, by 1.04 percentage points, or 1.24 times that in Iraq.

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% of the labour force · IISS

Iraq vs Syria: Armed forces, share of workersArmed forces, share of workers in 2020: 4.4% of the labour force in Iraq and 5.44% of the labour force in Syria, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Syria, by 1.04 percentage points, or 1.24 times that in Iraq.
IraqSyriaWorld

What the numbers say

  • Syria has been higher since 2013, when it overtook Iraq.
  • In 2020, Iraq ranked 6 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

YearIraqSyriaWorld
20204.45.440.79
20193.345.470.79
20183.345.610.8
20172.15.430.8
20162.17.10.81
20152.176.370.82
20142.246.090.82
20132.033.510.83
20129.853.140.87
201110.292.810.88
201010.666.570.89
20099.056.710.89
20088.236.670.89
20075.286.860.89
20067.187.20.95
20053.337.790.96
20042.717.920.94
20036.768.30.98
20026.988.421
20017.88.581.01
20008.278.631.07
19998.569.011.09
19988.859.521.13
19978.469.891.15
19968.5312.691.18
19958.3113.241.2
19948.998.150.94
19939.0510.620.98
19929.5211.041.03
199111.4611.451.03
199033.9811.91.11

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

Iraq vs Syria

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