Armed forces personnel in Belgium
Belgium: Armed forces personnel was 0.5% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Armed forces personnel in Belgium, 1990–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 0.5% for armed forces personnel in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 31 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.3% on the previous year and down 35.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Belgium peaked at 2.7% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 2020.
Belgium ranks 123rd of 171 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Armed forces personnel in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.7% | — |
| 1991 | 2.5% | -6.8% |
| 1992 | 1.9% | -22.6% |
| 1993 | 1.7% | -11.9% |
| 1994 | 1.3% | -25.5% |
| 1995 | 1.1% | -11.6% |
| 1996 | 1.1% | -2.2% |
| 1997 | 1.1% | -4.5% |
| 1998 | 1.0% | -2.5% |
| 1999 | 1.0% | -6.8% |
| 2000 | 0.9% | -6.8% |
| 2001 | 0.9% | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 0.9% | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 0.9% | +3.2% |
| 2004 | 0.8% | -13.4% |
| 2005 | 0.8% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 0.9% | +7.6% |
| 2007 | 0.8% | -4.3% |
| 2008 | 0.8% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 0.8% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 0.7% | -11.3% |
| 2011 | 0.7% | -4.4% |
| 2012 | 0.6% | -10.4% |
| 2013 | 0.8% | +20.9% |
| 2014 | 0.8% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 0.7% | -3.5% |
| 2016 | 0.7% | -7.1% |
| 2017 | 0.6% | -6.0% |
| 2018 | 0.6% | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 0.5% | -18.3% |
| 2020 | 0.5% | -7.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.5% | 1.0% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More public sector data for Belgium
- Arms imports 515.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 43.43 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0008 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -92.94 % change on previous year (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 515.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 721.97 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0128 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 12.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 8.56 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 393.52 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Belgium?
- Armed forces personnel in Belgium was 0.5% in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 2.7% in 1990.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 2020.
- How does Belgium rank for armed forces personnel?
- Belgium ranks 123rd out of 171 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 35.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Belgium 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.