Syria

Armed forces, share of workers in Syria

Armed forces, share of workers in Syria: 11.9% of the labour force in 1990 and 5.44% of the labour force in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020
5.44% of the labour force
Since 1990
−6.46 percentage points
Rank, 2020
3 of 168
counting from the highest
World, 2020
0.79% of the labour force
Watch it change on the map

% of the labour force · IISS

Armed forces, share of workers in SyriaArmed forces, share of workers in Syria: 11.9% of the labour force in 1990 and 5.44% of the labour force in 2020, by IISS estimates. The highest was 13.24% of the labour force in 1995, the lowest 2.81% of the labour force in 2011.
Estimates, IISSWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 13.24% of the labour force in 1995, the lowest 2.81% of the labour force in 2011.

Every year

% of the labour force · IISS

YearSyriaWorld
20205.440.79
20195.470.79
20185.610.8
20175.430.8
20167.10.81
20156.370.82
20146.090.82
20133.510.83
20123.140.87
20112.810.88
20106.570.89
20096.710.89
20086.670.89
20076.860.89
20067.20.95
20057.790.96
20047.920.94
20038.30.98
20028.421
20018.581.01
20008.631.07
19999.011.09
19989.521.13
19979.891.15
199612.691.18
199513.241.2
19948.150.94
199310.620.98
199211.041.03
199111.451.03
199011.91.11

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

Syria in numbers

Every measure for Syria on one page

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment

Other places nearby