Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) was 3.7% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Sri Lanka, 1990–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel in Sri Lanka stood at 3.7%. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.5% on the previous year and up 39.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Sri Lanka peaked at 3.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1990.
Sri Lanka ranks 12th of 171 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.3% | — |
| 1991 | 1.7% | +412.7% |
| 1992 | 1.7% | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 1.6% | -2.9% |
| 1994 | 1.6% | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 3.5% | +116.8% |
| 1996 | 3.2% | -7.8% |
| 1997 | 3.1% | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 2.9% | -9.1% |
| 1999 | 2.8% | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 2.6% | -6.1% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 3.1% | +16.4% |
| 2003 | 3.0% | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 2.9% | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 2.5% | -16.6% |
| 2006 | 2.6% | +6.1% |
| 2007 | 2.6% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 2.6% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 2.7% | +4.4% |
| 2010 | 2.7% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 2.7% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 2.7% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 2.8% | +3.7% |
| 2014 | 2.8% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 3.1% | +13.0% |
| 2016 | 3.5% | +13.3% |
| 2017 | 3.6% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 3.7% | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 3.6% | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 3.7% | +2.5% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 3.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.0%, 3.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 3.7% is above the median for South Asia, which is 1.4%, 2.7× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in Sri Lanka 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +412.7% | 0.3% | 1.7% |
| 1995 | +116.8% | 1.6% | 3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.2% | 0.3% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.7% | 2.5% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.1% | 2.7% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More public sector data for Sri Lanka
- 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 11.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.4107 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 80 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Sri Lanka?
- Armed forces personnel in Sri Lanka was 3.7% in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1990.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for armed forces personnel?
- Sri Lanka ranks 12th out of 171 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.