United States

Armed forces, share of workers in United States

Armed forces, share of workers in United States: 1.71% of the labour force in 1990 and 0.84% of the labour force in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020
0.84% of the labour force
Since 1990
−0.87 percentage points
Rank, 2020
84 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 United StatesArmed forces, share of workers in United States: 1.71% of the labour force in 1990 and 0.84% of the labour force in 2020, by IISS estimates. The highest was 1.71% of the labour force in 1990, the lowest 0.82% of the labour force in 2017.
Estimates, IISSWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 1.71% of the labour force in 1990, the lowest 0.82% of the labour force in 2017.

Every year

% of the labour force · IISS

YearUnited StatesWorld
20200.840.79
20190.820.79
20180.830.8
20170.820.8
20160.820.81
20150.830.82
20140.860.82
20130.90.83
20120.930.87
20110.960.88
20100.990.89
20090.990.89
20080.970.89
20070.990.89
20060.960.95
20051.010.96
20040.970.94
20030.990.98
20020.981
20010.961.01
20000.991.07
19991.091.09
19981.111.13
19971.091.15
19961.131.18
19951.21.2
19941.280.94
19931.380.98
19921.471.03
19911.651.03
19901.711.11

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

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