Armed forces personnel in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Armed forces personnel was 1.8% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Armed forces personnel in Afghanistan, 1990–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 1.8% for armed forces personnel in 2020.
That represents a change of down 39.8% on the previous year and down 59.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Afghanistan peaked at 10.1% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 2005.
That places Afghanistan 34th out of 171 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Armed forces personnel in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.0% | — |
| 1991 | 1.5% | -23.3% |
| 1992 | 1.4% | -7.4% |
| 1993 | 1.2% | -10.7% |
| 1994 | 1.1% | -7.5% |
| 1995 | 9.3% | +715.8% |
| 1996 | 10.1% | +8.3% |
| 1997 | 9.8% | -3.1% |
| 1998 | 8.9% | -9.6% |
| 1999 | 8.6% | -3.1% |
| 2000 | 8.5% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 2.4% | -71.6% |
| 2003 | 2.5% | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 0.5% | -80.0% |
| 2005 | 0.5% | -3.8% |
| 2006 | 0.9% | +80.5% |
| 2007 | 0.8% | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 1.5% | +78.9% |
| 2009 | 3.9% | +160.1% |
| 2010 | 4.5% | +15.4% |
| 2011 | 4.8% | +5.9% |
| 2012 | 4.5% | -5.5% |
| 2013 | 4.2% | -6.4% |
| 2014 | 3.8% | -10.8% |
| 2015 | 3.7% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 3.6% | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 3.5% | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 3.0% | -15.4% |
| 2019 | 3.0% | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 1.8% | -39.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.4% | 1.1% | 10.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.4% | 0.5% | 8.5% | 9 |
| 2010s | 3.9% | 3.0% | 4.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More public sector data for Afghanistan
- Arms imports 65.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2021)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 1.62 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2021)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0046 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2021)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -71.86 % change on previous year (2021)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 65.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2021)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 6.96 current USD per person (2021)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0195 current USD per US$ of GDP (2021)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate -0.4743 % change on previous year (2021)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 278.25 million current USD (2021)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 99.66 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Afghanistan?
- Armed forces personnel in Afghanistan was 1.8% in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 10.1% in 1996.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 2005.
- How does Afghanistan rank for armed forces personnel?
- Afghanistan ranks 34th out of 171 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 59.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as part of Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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.