Armed forces personnel in Eritrea

Eritrea: Armed forces personnel was 13.3% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
13.3%
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
1st
of 171 countries
All-time high
20.3%
in 1999
All-time low
4.7%
in 1997
Years of data
27
1993–2020

Armed forces personnel in Eritrea, 1993–2020

51015201993200620201993: 6.6 % of total labor force1994: 6.4 % of total labor force1995: 6 % of total labor force1996: 5.6 % of total labor force1997: 4.7 % of total labor force1998: 4.8 % of total labor force1999: 20.3 % of total labor force2000: 20.1 % of total labor force2001: 16.8 % of total labor force2002: 16.1 % of total labor force2003: 17.9 % of total labor force2004: 17 % of total labor force2005: 16.6 % of total labor force2007: 16.2 % of total labor force2008: 15.7 % of total labor force2009: 15.3 % of total labor force2010: 15 % of total labor force2011: 14.7 % of total labor force2012: 14.5 % of total labor force2013: 14.3 % of total labor force2014: 14.2 % of total labor force2015: 14.2 % of total labor force2016: 14.1 % of total labor force2017: 14 % of total labor force2018: 13.7 % of total labor force2019: 13.5 % of total labor force2020: 13.3 % of total labor force

Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Measured in % of total labor force.

Analysis

Eritrea recorded 13.3% for armed forces personnel in 2020.

That represents a change of down 1.4% on the previous year and down 11.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Eritrea peaked at 20.3% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 4.7%, in 1997.

That places Eritrea 1st out of 171 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.

Armed forces personnel in Eritrea, year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in Eritrea, 1993 to 2020.
Year % of total labor force Change
1993 6.6%
1994 6.4% -3.1%
1995 6.0% -6.8%
1996 5.6% -5.6%
1997 4.7% -16.3%
1998 4.8% +2.1%
1999 20.3% +321.8%
2000 20.1% -1.0%
2001 16.8% -16.7%
2002 16.1% -3.9%
2003 17.9% +11.3%
2004 17.0% -5.4%
2005 16.6% -1.9%
2007 16.2% -2.4%
2008 15.7% -3.0%
2009 15.3% -2.9%
2010 15.0% -2.1%
2011 14.7% -2.0%
2012 14.5% -1.4%
2013 14.3% -1.4%
2014 14.2% -0.3%
2015 14.2% -0.3%
2016 14.1% -0.5%
2017 14.0% -0.9%
2018 13.7% -1.8%
2019 13.5% -1.8%
2020 13.3% -1.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 7.8% 4.7% 20.3% 7
2000s 16.9% 15.3% 20.1% 9
2010s 14.2% 13.5% 15.0% 10
2020s 13.3% 13.3% 13.3% 1

Countries ranked near Eritrea

  1. 2 North Korea 8.6% compare
  2. 3 Syria 5.4% compare
  3. 4 Djibouti 5.4% compare

See the full ranking of 217 places →

More public sector data for Eritrea

All data for Eritrea →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel in Eritrea?
Armed forces personnel in Eritrea was 13.3% in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Eritrea?
The highest recorded value was 20.3% in 1999.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Eritrea?
The lowest recorded value was 4.7% in 1997.
How does Eritrea rank for armed forces personnel?
Eritrea ranks 1st out of 171 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Eritrea?
Over the last ten years it is down 11.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Eritrea 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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Armed forces personnel in Eritrea. Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel-percent-of-total-labor-force/eritrea/

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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.