Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in Colombia
Colombia: Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) was 1.7% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Colombia, 1990–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel in Colombia is 1.7%, measured in 2020.
The figure is down 11.6% on the previous year and down 16.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Colombia peaked at 2.1% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 0.8%, in 1991.
Colombia ranks 37th of 171 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in Colombia, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.8% | — |
| 1991 | 0.8% | -2.4% |
| 1992 | 0.9% | +22.9% |
| 1993 | 0.9% | -2.9% |
| 1994 | 0.9% | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 1.5% | +55.3% |
| 1996 | 1.4% | -2.4% |
| 1997 | 1.4% | -2.6% |
| 1998 | 1.4% | -2.2% |
| 1999 | 1.3% | -2.3% |
| 2000 | 1.4% | +4.4% |
| 2001 | 1.4% | +4.1% |
| 2002 | 1.4% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 1.6% | +12.2% |
| 2004 | 1.8% | +9.2% |
| 2005 | 1.8% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 2.1% | +17.3% |
| 2007 | 2.1% | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 2.1% | -2.4% |
| 2009 | 2.1% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 2.0% | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 2.0% | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 1.9% | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 2.0% | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 1.9% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 2.0% | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 2.0% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 2.0% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 1.9% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 1.9% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 1.7% | -11.6% |
Colombia compared with similar countries
- Colombia's 1.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.0%, 1.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Colombia's 1.7% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.9%, 1.9× the median. (27 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in Colombia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +55.3% | 0.9% | 1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.1% | 0.8% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.8% | 1.4% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 1.9% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
More public sector data for Colombia
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 22.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.3593 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 533.33 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Colombia?
- Armed forces personnel in Colombia was 1.7% in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 2.1% in 2007.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.8% in 1991.
- How does Colombia rank for armed forces personnel?
- Colombia ranks 37th out of 171 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Colombia 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.