Armed forces personnel in Philippines

Philippines: Armed forces personnel was 0.4% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
0.4%
Change on year
up 7.8%
World rank
138th
of 171 countries
All-time high
0.6%
in 1995
All-time low
0.3%
in 2019
Years of data
31
1990–2020

Armed forces personnel in Philippines, 1990–2020

00.20.40.61990200520201990: 0.486 % of total labor force1991: 0.465 % of total labor force1992: 0.452 % of total labor force1993: 0.44 % of total labor force1994: 0.418 % of total labor force1995: 0.584 % of total labor force1996: 0.573 % of total labor force1997: 0.568 % of total labor force1998: 0.576 % of total labor force1999: 0.53 % of total labor force2000: 0.501 % of total labor force2001: 0.495 % of total labor force2002: 0.479 % of total labor force2003: 0.467 % of total labor force2004: 0.44 % of total labor force2005: 0.432 % of total labor force2006: 0.424 % of total labor force2007: 0.415 % of total labor force2008: 0.408 % of total labor force2009: 0.446 % of total labor force2010: 0.434 % of total labor force2011: 0.418 % of total labor force2012: 0.411 % of total labor force2013: 0.403 % of total labor force2014: 0.389 % of total labor force2015: 0.385 % of total labor force2016: 0.375 % of total labor force2017: 0.354 % of total labor force2018: 0.348 % of total labor force2019: 0.342 % of total labor force2020: 0.369 % of total labor force

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

Analysis

Philippines recorded 0.4% for armed forces personnel in 2020.

That represents a change of up 7.8% on the previous year and down 15.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Philippines peaked at 0.6% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2019.

That places Philippines 138th out of 171 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.

Armed forces personnel in Philippines, year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in Philippines, 1990 to 2020.
Year % of total labor force Change
1990 0.5%
1991 0.5% -4.4%
1992 0.5% -2.6%
1993 0.4% -2.7%
1994 0.4% -5.1%
1995 0.6% +39.8%
1996 0.6% -1.9%
1997 0.6% -0.8%
1998 0.6% +1.4%
1999 0.5% -8.0%
2000 0.5% -5.5%
2001 0.5% -1.2%
2002 0.5% -3.2%
2003 0.5% -2.5%
2004 0.4% -5.7%
2005 0.4% -1.9%
2006 0.4% -1.9%
2007 0.4% -2.0%
2008 0.4% -1.9%
2009 0.4% +9.4%
2010 0.4% -2.6%
2011 0.4% -3.8%
2012 0.4% -1.7%
2013 0.4% -2.0%
2014 0.4% -3.4%
2015 0.4% -1.0%
2016 0.4% -2.5%
2017 0.4% -5.8%
2018 0.3% -1.5%
2019 0.3% -1.7%
2020 0.4% +7.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.5% 0.4% 0.6% 10
2000s 0.5% 0.4% 0.5% 10
2010s 0.4% 0.3% 0.4% 10
2020s 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 1

Countries ranked near Philippines

  1. 135 Japan 0.4% compare
  2. 136 Togo 0.4% compare
  3. 137 Senegal 0.4% compare
  4. 139 Ireland 0.4% compare
  5. 140 East Timor 0.4% compare
  6. 141 Sierra Leone 0.4% compare

See the full ranking of 217 places →

More public sector data for Philippines

All data for Philippines →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel in Philippines?
Armed forces personnel in Philippines was 0.4% in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Philippines?
The highest recorded value was 0.6% in 1995.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Philippines?
The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2019.
How does Philippines rank for armed forces personnel?
Philippines ranks 138th out of 171 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Philippines?
Over the last ten years it is down 15.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Philippines 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 Philippines. 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/philippines/

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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.