Jordan vs Syria
Jordan vs Syria: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 3.98% of the labour force in Jordan and 5.44% of the labour force in Syria, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Syria, by 1.46 percentage points, or 1.37 times that in Jordan.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Syria has been higher since 2014, when it overtook Jordan.
- In 2020, Jordan ranked 10 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 | Jordan | Syria | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3.98 | 5.44 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 4.15 | 5.47 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 3.74 | 5.61 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 4.28 | 5.43 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 4.52 | 7.1 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 4.93 | 6.37 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 5.55 | 6.09 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 5.98 | 3.51 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 6.17 | 3.14 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 5.87 | 2.81 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 5.99 | 6.57 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 6.08 | 6.71 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 6.38 | 6.67 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 6.53 | 6.86 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 7.38 | 7.2 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 7.81 | 7.79 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 8.08 | 7.92 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 8.47 | 8.3 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 8.45 | 8.42 | 1 |
| 2001 | 8.58 | 8.58 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 11.7 | 8.63 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 10.77 | 9.01 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 11.03 | 9.52 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 11.29 | 9.89 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 11.13 | 12.69 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 11.54 | 13.24 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 9.4 | 8.15 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 9.96 | 10.62 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 10.64 | 11.04 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 11.36 | 11.45 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 12.75 | 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
Jordan vs Syria
Health
- Life expectancyJordan: 77.8 years in 2023Syria: 72.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityJordan: 1.3 per 100 live births in 2024Syria: 1.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityJordan: 11.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023Syria: 16.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionJordan: 3.56% in 2017Syria: 3.58% in 2017
- Suicide rateJordan: 3.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Syria: 3.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationJordan: 11.4 million people in 2023Syria: 23.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthJordan: 1.6% a year in 2023Syria: 4.92% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateJordan: 2.64 births per woman in 2023Syria: 2.71 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationJordan: 93.2% in 2025Syria: 72.1% in 2025
- Median ageJordan: 24.3 years in 2023Syria: 22.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overJordan: 4.3% in 2023Syria: 4.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateJordan: -1.5 per 1,000 people in 2023Syria: 32.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingJordan: 4.56% of GDP in 2025Syria: 4.06% of GDP in 2010
- Military spending per personJordan: $221 in 2025Syria: $110 in 2011
- Military share of state spendingJordan: 13.5% of government spending in 2025Syria: 13.6% of government spending in 2010
- Armed forces personnelJordan: 116,000 people in 2020Syria: 269,000 people in 2020
- National powerJordan: 0.17% of world capability in 2022Syria: 0.29% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsJordan: 34 million TIV in 2024Syria: 2 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsJordan: 226 million TIV in 2024Syria: 30 million TIV in 2010