Afghanistan vs Saudi Arabia: Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force
Afghanistan
1.8%
in 2020
Saudi Arabia
1.9%
in 2020
Afghanistan rank
34th
Saudi Arabia rank
33rd
Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force over time
- Afghanistan
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 1.9% against 1.8% in Afghanistan, a difference of 0.1%.
That makes Saudi Arabia's figure about 1.1 times Afghanistan's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 30 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Saudi Arabia ahead.
Afghanistan ranks 34th and Saudi Arabia ranks 33rd of 171 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Afghanistan averaged higher in 2 and Saudi Arabia in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Afghanistan | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.4% | 4.6% | 0.8% | Afghanistan |
| 2000s | 2.4% | 3.5% | 1.1% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | 3.9% | 2.1% | 1.7% | Afghanistan |
| 2020s | 1.8% | 1.9% | 0.1% | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force, Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia?
- Saudi Arabia, at 1.9% against 1.8% in Afghanistan as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force between Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia?
- 0.1%, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia?
- 30 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2020.
- How do Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia rank globally for armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force?
- Afghanistan ranks 34th and Saudi Arabia ranks 33rd of 171 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.