Colombia vs El Salvador: Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force
Colombia
1.7%
in 2020
El Salvador
1.6%
in 2020
Colombia rank
37th
El Salvador rank
39th
Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force over time
- Colombia
- El Salvador
How they compare
Colombia currently reports 1.7% against 1.6% in El Salvador, a difference of 0.1%.
That makes Colombia's figure about 1.1 times El Salvador's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 31 shared years of data; in 1990 it was El Salvador ahead.
Colombia ranks 37th and El Salvador ranks 39th of 171 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Colombia averaged higher in 3 and El Salvador in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Colombia | El Salvador | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.1% | 2.1% | 0.9% | El Salvador |
| 2000s | 1.8% | 1.1% | 0.6% | Colombia |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 1.5% | 0.5% | Colombia |
| 2020s | 1.7% | 1.6% | 0.1% | Colombia |
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, Colombia or El Salvador?
- Colombia, at 1.7% against 1.6% in El Salvador as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force between Colombia and El Salvador?
- 0.1%, with Colombia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Colombia and El Salvador?
- 31 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2020.
- How do Colombia and El Salvador rank globally for armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force?
- Colombia ranks 37th and El Salvador ranks 39th 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.