Armed forces personnel in Israel
Israel: Armed forces personnel was 4.2% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in Israel, 1990–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
Israel recorded 4.2% for armed forces personnel in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 20.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Israel peaked at 10.1% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 4.2%, in 2019.
Israel ranks 8th of 171 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel in Israel, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 10.1% | — |
| 1991 | 9.4% | -6.9% |
| 1992 | 8.5% | -9.2% |
| 1993 | 8.1% | -5.2% |
| 1994 | 7.9% | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 7.3% | -7.2% |
| 1996 | 7.3% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 7.2% | -2.2% |
| 1998 | 7.0% | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 6.7% | -4.2% |
| 2000 | 6.5% | -3.3% |
| 2001 | 6.0% | -7.4% |
| 2002 | 5.9% | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 6.0% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 5.8% | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 5.7% | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 5.8% | +2.5% |
| 2007 | 5.7% | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 5.6% | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 5.4% | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 5.3% | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 5.2% | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 5.0% | -5.1% |
| 2013 | 4.9% | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 4.8% | -2.6% |
| 2015 | 4.7% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 4.6% | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 4.3% | -5.2% |
| 2018 | 4.3% | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 4.2% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 4.2% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.0% | 6.7% | 10.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.9% | 5.4% | 6.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.7% | 4.2% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Israel
More public sector data for Israel
- Arms imports 211.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 21.1 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0004 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -75.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 211.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 4,650 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0858 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 69.12 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 46.51 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 39,880 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Israel?
- Armed forces personnel in Israel was 4.2% in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Israel?
- The highest recorded value was 10.1% in 1990.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Israel?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.2% in 2019.
- How does Israel rank for armed forces personnel?
- Israel ranks 8th out of 171 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Israel?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Israel 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.