Japan vs Malaysia
Japan vs Malaysia: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 0.38% of the labour force in Japan and 0.81% of the labour force in Malaysia, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Malaysia, by 0.43 percentage points, or 2.12 times that in Japan.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Malaysia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- In 2020, Japan ranked 132 and Malaysia ranked 87 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 | Japan | Malaysia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0.38 | 0.81 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 0.38 | 0.82 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 0.38 | 0.84 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 0.39 | 0.86 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 0.39 | 0.87 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 0.39 | 0.88 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 0.39 | 0.91 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 0.4 | 0.94 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 0.4 | 0.98 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 0.4 | 1.02 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 0.39 | 1.05 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 0.39 | 1.09 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 0.36 | 1.13 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 0.36 | 1.17 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 0.38 | 1.21 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 0.41 | 1.26 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 0.38 | 1.26 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 0.38 | 1.24 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 0.38 | 1.25 | 1 |
| 2001 | 0.37 | 1.29 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 0.37 | 1.29 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 0.37 | 1.44 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 0.37 | 1.55 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 0.36 | 1.63 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 0.37 | 1.79 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 0.37 | 1.86 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 0.35 | 1.58 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 0.36 | 1.64 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 0.37 | 1.89 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 0.38 | 1.96 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 0.39 | 2.06 | 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
Japan vs Malaysia
Health
- Life expectancyJapan: 84.7 years in 2023Malaysia: 76.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityJapan: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024Malaysia: 0.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityJapan: 1.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023Malaysia: 6.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterJapan: 98.7% in 2022Malaysia: 93.9% in 2022
- DepressionJapan: 3.34% in 2017Malaysia: 3.52% in 2017
- Suicide rateJapan: 15.7 per 100,000 people in 2017Malaysia: 7.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationJapan: 124 million people in 2023Malaysia: 35.1 million people in 2023
- Population growthJapan: -0.48% a year in 2023Malaysia: 1.24% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateJapan: 1.21 births per woman in 2023Malaysia: 1.55 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationJapan: 92.3% in 2025Malaysia: 77.4% in 2025
- Median ageJapan: 49 years in 2023Malaysia: 30.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overJapan: 29.6% in 2023Malaysia: 7.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateJapan: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Malaysia: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingJapan: 1.41% of GDP in 2025Malaysia: 1.04% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsJapan: $59.5B in 2025Malaysia: $4.55B in 2025
- Military spending per personJapan: $504 in 2025Malaysia: $138 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingJapan: 3.8% of government spending in 2025Malaysia: 4.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelJapan: 261,000 people in 2020Malaysia: 136,000 people in 2020
- National powerJapan: 2.47% of world capability in 2022Malaysia: 0.46% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsJapan: 1.72 billion TIV in 2025Malaysia: 7 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsJapan: 28 million TIV in 2025Malaysia: 20 million TIV in 2024