Armed forces personnel in North Macedonia

North Macedonia: Armed forces personnel was 2.0% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
2.0%
Change on year
up 2.8%
World rank
30th
of 171 countries
All-time high
3.4%
in 1998
All-time low
0.9%
in 2009
Years of data
29
1992–2020

Armed forces personnel in North Macedonia, 1992–2020

11.522.533.51992200620201992: 1.2 % of total labor force1993: 1.2 % of total labor force1994: 1.2 % of total labor force1995: 2.2 % of total labor force1996: 2.2 % of total labor force1997: 2.8 % of total labor force1998: 3.4 % of total labor force1999: 2.9 % of total labor force2000: 2.9 % of total labor force2001: 3.1 % of total labor force2002: 2.4 % of total labor force2003: 2.4 % of total labor force2004: 2 % of total labor force2005: 2.3 % of total labor force2006: 2.3 % of total labor force2007: 2.2 % of total labor force2008: 2.2 % of total labor force2009: 0.929 % of total labor force2010: 0.958 % of total labor force2011: 0.935 % of total labor force2012: 0.941 % of total labor force2013: 0.935 % of total labor force2014: 0.935 % of total labor force2015: 1.8 % of total labor force2016: 1.9 % of total labor force2017: 1.9 % of total labor force2018: 1.9 % of total labor force2019: 1.9 % of total labor force2020: 2 % of total labor force

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

Analysis

North Macedonia recorded 2.0% for armed forces personnel in 2020.

That represents a change of up 2.8% on the previous year and up 108.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in North Macedonia peaked at 3.4% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 2009.

That places North Macedonia 30th out of 171 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.

Armed forces personnel in North Macedonia, year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in North Macedonia, 1992 to 2020.
Year % of total labor force Change
1992 1.2%
1993 1.2% +1.6%
1994 1.2% +1.4%
1995 2.2% +79.6%
1996 2.2% -0.4%
1997 2.8% +28.9%
1998 3.4% +20.3%
1999 2.9% -14.5%
2000 2.9% -1.4%
2001 3.1% +9.1%
2002 2.4% -23.5%
2003 2.4% +1.0%
2004 2.0% -16.6%
2005 2.3% +11.9%
2006 2.3% +0.0%
2007 2.2% -1.8%
2008 2.2% -0.6%
2009 0.9% -57.8%
2010 1.0% +3.1%
2011 0.9% -2.4%
2012 0.9% +0.5%
2013 0.9% -0.6%
2014 0.9% +0.1%
2015 1.8% +97.0%
2016 1.9% +1.1%
2017 1.9% +3.2%
2018 1.9% +1.0%
2019 1.9% +0.1%
2020 2.0% +2.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2.1% 1.2% 3.4% 8
2000s 2.3% 0.9% 3.1% 10
2010s 1.4% 0.9% 1.9% 10
2020s 2.0% 2.0% 2.0% 1

Countries ranked near North Macedonia

  1. 27 Cambodia 2.0% compare
  2. 28 Republic of Korea 2.0% compare
  3. 29 Mauritania 2.0% compare
  4. 31 Russian Federation 2.0% compare
  5. 32 Myanmar 1.9% compare
  6. 33 Saudi Arabia 1.9% compare

See the full ranking of 217 places →

More public sector data for North Macedonia

All data for North Macedonia →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel in North Macedonia?
Armed forces personnel in North Macedonia was 2.0% in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in North Macedonia?
The highest recorded value was 3.4% in 1998.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in North Macedonia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 2009.
How does North Macedonia rank for armed forces personnel?
North Macedonia ranks 30th out of 171 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in North Macedonia?
Over the last ten years it is up 108.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this North Macedonia 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 North Macedonia. Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel-percent-of-total-labor-force/north-macedonia/

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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.