Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force was 0.1% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Papua New Guinea, 1990–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Papua New Guinea is 0.1%, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of down 2.3% on the previous year and down 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Papua New Guinea peaked at 0.4% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2015.
Papua New Guinea ranks 161st of 171 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 30 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.4% | — |
| 1991 | 0.4% | -3.2% |
| 1992 | 0.3% | -3.5% |
| 1994 | 0.3% | -7.1% |
| 1995 | 0.3% | -9.0% |
| 1996 | 0.3% | -6.2% |
| 1997 | 0.3% | +11.4% |
| 1998 | 0.3% | -4.1% |
| 1999 | 0.3% | -3.8% |
| 2000 | 0.3% | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 0.3% | -3.8% |
| 2002 | 0.2% | -32.2% |
| 2003 | 0.2% | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 0.2% | -6.8% |
| 2005 | 0.2% | -3.5% |
| 2006 | 0.1% | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 0.1% | -3.3% |
| 2008 | 0.1% | -3.6% |
| 2009 | 0.1% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 0.1% | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 0.1% | -4.0% |
| 2012 | 0.1% | -41.0% |
| 2013 | 0.1% | -3.7% |
| 2014 | 0.1% | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 0.1% | -3.5% |
| 2016 | 0.1% | +83.0% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | +7.3% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | -13.2% |
| 2019 | 0.1% | +7.5% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | -2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
- 158 Equatorial Guinea 0.2% compare
- 159 Madagascar 0.2% compare
- 160 Ghana 0.1% compare
- 162 Burkina Faso 0.1% compare
- 163 Kenya 0.1% compare
- 164 Niger 0.1% compare
More work & labour data for Papua New Guinea
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.0564 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.0424 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.0705 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.4419 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 3.49 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 3,326 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 10,546 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 9,357 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 9,284 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 18,640 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Papua New Guinea?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Papua New Guinea was 0.1% in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4% in 1990.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2015.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 161st out of 171 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel as a share of the 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 their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.