Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in East Timor
East Timor: Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) was 0.4% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in East Timor, 2004–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel in East Timor is 0.4%, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and up 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in East Timor peaked at 0.4% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2008.
That places East Timor 140th out of 171 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in East Timor, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 0.3% | — |
| 2006 | 0.3% | -4.7% |
| 2007 | 0.2% | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 0.2% | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 0.3% | +30.3% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 0.3% | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 0.3% | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 0.3% | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 0.3% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 0.3% | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 0.3% | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 0.4% | +45.5% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | +6.6% |
| 2019 | 0.4% | -10.7% |
| 2020 | 0.4% | -1.9% |
East Timor compared with similar countries
- East Timor's 0.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.6%, 62% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- East Timor's 0.4% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.0%, 34% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in East Timor 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | +45.5% | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| 2009 | +30.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 5 |
| 2010s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near East Timor
- 137 Senegal 0.4% compare
- 138 Philippines 0.4% compare
- 139 Ireland 0.4% compare
- 141 Sierra Leone 0.4% compare
- 142 Canada 0.4% compare
- 143 New Zealand 0.3% compare
More public sector data for East Timor
- 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)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 33.13 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0249 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate -15.81 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 46.40 million current USD (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in East Timor?
- Armed forces personnel in East Timor was 0.4% in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in East Timor?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4% in 2018.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in East Timor?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2008.
- How does East Timor rank for armed forces personnel?
- East Timor ranks 140th out of 171 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in East Timor?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this East Timor 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.