Singapore vs United States
Singapore vs United States: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 1.72% of the labour force in Singapore and 0.84% of the labour force in United States, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Singapore, by 0.88 percentage points, or 2.05 times that in United States.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Singapore has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- In 2020, Singapore ranked 34 and United States ranked 84 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 | Singapore | United States | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.72 | 0.84 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 1.71 | 0.82 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 1.74 | 0.83 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 2.39 | 0.82 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 4.35 | 0.82 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 4.39 | 0.83 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 4.52 | 0.86 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 4.64 | 0.9 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 4.72 | 0.93 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 4.9 | 0.96 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 5.02 | 0.99 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 5.2 | 0.99 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 6.1 | 0.97 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 6.6 | 0.99 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 6.88 | 0.96 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 7.26 | 1.01 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 7.46 | 0.97 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 7.76 | 0.99 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 7.13 | 0.98 | 1 |
| 2001 | 7 | 0.96 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 7.88 | 0.99 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 8.65 | 1.09 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 8.73 | 1.11 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 9 | 1.09 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 3.47 | 1.13 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 3.67 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 3.28 | 1.28 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 3.42 | 1.38 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 3.54 | 1.47 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 3.68 | 1.65 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 3.83 | 1.71 | 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
Singapore vs United States
Health
- Life expectancySingapore: 83.7 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySingapore: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySingapore: 1.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterSingapore: 100% in 2022United States: 97.5% in 2022
- DepressionSingapore: 3.44% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateSingapore: 7.3 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSingapore: 5.79 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthSingapore: 0.81% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSingapore: 0.94 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSingapore: 100% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageSingapore: 35.1 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSingapore: 13.1% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateSingapore: 4.7 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSingapore: 3.05% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSingapore: $16.9B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personSingapore: $2,980 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSingapore: 18% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSingapore: 59,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerSingapore: 0.25% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsSingapore: 57 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSingapore: 79 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025