Norway vs United States of America: Armed forces personnel

Norway
0.9%
in 2020
United States of America
0.8%
in 2020
Norway rank
84th
United States of America rank
87th

Armed forces personnel over time

  • Norway
  • United States of America
0.511.522.5199020052020

How they compare

Norway currently reports 0.9% against 0.8% in United States of America, a difference of 0.1%.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 31 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Norway ahead.

Norway ranks 84th and United States of America ranks 87th of 171 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Norway averaged higher in 3 and United States of America in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Norway United States of America Difference Ahead
1990s 1.6% 1.3% 0.3% Norway
2000s 1.0% 1.0% 0.1% Norway
2010s 0.9% 0.9% 0.0% United States of America
2020s 0.9% 0.8% 0.0% Norway

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel, Norway or United States of America?
Norway, at 0.9% against 0.8% in United States of America as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Norway and United States of America?
0.1%, with Norway ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and United States of America?
31 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2020.
How do Norway and United States of America rank globally for armed forces personnel?
Norway ranks 84th and United States of America ranks 87th 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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Norway vs United States of America: Armed forces personnel. Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/armed-forces-personnel-percent-of-total-labor-force/norway/united-states/

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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

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.