Which has higher armed forces personnel, Kuwait or United Arab Emirates?

Kuwait, at 1.0% against 1.0% in United Arab Emirates as of 2020.

How many years of comparable data are there for Kuwait and United Arab Emirates?

31 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2020.

Where does this data come from?

The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Kuwait vs United Arab Emirates: Armed forces personnel

Kuwait

1.0%

in 2020

United Arab Emirates

1.0%

in 2020

Kuwait rank

66th

United Arab Emirates rank

67th

Armed forces personnel over time

Kuwait
United Arab Emirates

How they compare

Kuwait currently reports 1.0% against 1.0% in United Arab Emirates, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 31 shared years of data; in 1990 it was United Arab Emirates ahead.

Kuwait ranks 66th and United Arab Emirates ranks 67th of 171 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Kuwait averaged higher in 3 and United Arab Emirates in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Kuwait	United Arab Emirates	Difference	Ahead
1990s	2.1%	4.8%	2.7%	United Arab Emirates
2000s	2.0%	1.9%	0.1%	Kuwait
2010s	1.1%	1.1%	0.0%	Kuwait
2020s	1.0%	1.0%	0.0%	Kuwait

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel, Kuwait or United Arab Emirates?: Kuwait, at 1.0% against 1.0% in United Arab Emirates as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Kuwait and United Arab Emirates?: 0.0%, with Kuwait ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Kuwait and United Arab Emirates?: 31 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2020.
How do Kuwait and United Arab Emirates rank globally for armed forces personnel?: Kuwait ranks 66th and United Arab Emirates ranks 67th of 171 countries.
Where does this data come from?: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Kuwait vs United Arab Emirates: Armed forces personnel. Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/armed-forces-personnel-percent-of-total-labor-force/kuwait/united-arab-emirates/

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<a href="https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/armed-forces-personnel-percent-of-total-labor-force/kuwait/united-arab-emirates/">Kuwait vs United Arab Emirates: Armed forces personnel</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force)
Unit: % of total labor force
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 217 places, 6,411 data points, 1990–2020
Last refreshed: 03 September 2026

Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces. Labor force comprises all people who meet the International Labour Organization's definition of the economically active population.