Arab World's armed forces personnel decline
Originally published here
Data shows that the percentage of armed forces personnel has declined over the past decade.
Data shows that the percentage of armed forces personnel has declined over the past decade.
By
Nehal ElSherif
The
percentage of Armed Forces personnel of the total labour force in most Arab
countries has decreased since 2000, according to data by the World Bank.
After
the 2011 uprisings spread across the Arab World demanding political, economic
and social changes, the militaries of the different countries came under
spotlight.
As the region gets ready for the fifth anniversary of the mass protests in January, Arab army forces are in the headlines due to the newest alliance formed to combat terrorism in the region.
As the region gets ready for the fifth anniversary of the mass protests in January, Arab army forces are in the headlines due to the newest alliance formed to combat terrorism in the region.
Jordan’s
armed forces personnel showed the sharpest drop from a 12.2 per cent of the
labour force in 2000 to 6.7 per cent in 2013.
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| Interactive table on Tableau here |
“A
number of these armed forces are being trained by or engaged in joint exercises
with the US armed forces and the US has for many years been advocating the
slimming down of Arab armies. The US thinks in terms of the most efficient
fighting machines and cost-effectiveness,” said Rosemary Hollis, Professor of
Middle East Policy Studies at City University.
Other
countries, including the oil-rich Gulf States, also showed a decrease in their
percentages, though with a lower rate when compared to Jordan.
The reason, Hollis
said, is that the Arab side tends to be influenced by
factors different from the West.
“One reason is that the armed forces can be used as way to employ otherwise unemployed
youth and potentially give opportunity for social mobility,” she added.
In
Egypt, for example, the armed forces run a number of factories, and many people
see it as more than just a fighting machine.
Meanwhile, Tunisia was the
country with the lowest percentage in 2000 at 1.46 per cent of the total labour
force. In 2013, it was 1.2 per cent.
Hollis
said each state has a different aspect in terms of the traditional place
of the armed forces within the country.
“In
Tunisia, they are almost remarkable for not being a major factor in sustaining
the state,” she added.
Data
for the West Bank and Gaza was only available between 2005 and 2012. Also, data
was missing for Libya in 2010-2011.
Data source: World Bank
