Ireland vs Spain
Ireland vs Spain: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 0.37% of the labour force in Ireland and 0.87% of the labour force in Spain, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Spain, by 0.5 percentage points, or 2.37 times that in Ireland.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Spain has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- In 2020, Ireland ranked 136 and Spain ranked 79 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 | Ireland | Spain | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0.37 | 0.87 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 0.36 | 0.86 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 0.36 | 0.85 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 0.38 | 0.85 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 0.39 | 0.86 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 0.4 | 0.86 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 0.4 | 0.86 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 0.42 | 0.91 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 0.42 | 0.91 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 0.4 | 0.91 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 0.46 | 0.95 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 0.45 | 0.95 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 0.42 | 0.96 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 0.43 | 0.99 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 0.44 | 1.01 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 0.46 | 1.04 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 0.48 | 1.08 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 0.51 | 1.13 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 0.53 | 1.32 | 1 |
| 2001 | 0.54 | 1.18 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 0.6 | 1.32 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 0.62 | 1.48 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 0.63 | 1.55 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 0.72 | 1.59 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 0.73 | 1.67 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 0.76 | 1.7 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 1.03 | 1.29 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 0.8 | 1.26 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 0.82 | 1.25 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 0.82 | 1.57 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 0.84 | 1.69 | 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
Ireland vs Spain
Health
- Life expectancyIreland: 82.4 years in 2023Spain: 83.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIreland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Spain: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIreland: 2.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Spain: 2.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterIreland: 96% in 2022Spain: 99.6% in 2022
- DepressionIreland: 4.25% in 2017Spain: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateIreland: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Spain: 5.5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIreland: 5.2 million people in 2023Spain: 47.9 million people in 2023
- Population growthIreland: 1.19% a year in 2023Spain: 0.02% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIreland: 1.6 births per woman in 2023Spain: 1.21 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIreland: 64.6% in 2025Spain: 80.5% in 2025
- Median ageIreland: 38.4 years in 2023Spain: 44.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIreland: 15.5% in 2023Spain: 20.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateIreland: 8.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Spain: 2.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIreland: 0.22% of GDP in 2025Spain: 2.13% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIreland: $1.46B in 2025Spain: $37.7B in 2025
- Military spending per personIreland: $272 in 2025Spain: $839 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIreland: 0.9% of government spending in 2025Spain: 4.7% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIreland: 9,000 people in 2020Spain: 199,000 people in 2020
- National powerIreland: 0.05% of world capability in 2022Spain: 0.66% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsIreland: 14 million TIV in 2025Spain: 237 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIreland: 24 million TIV in 2025Spain: 341 million TIV in 2025