Number of public paid employees by country
Countries reporting
80
Highest
124,732
Brazil
Lowest
386
Niger
Median
2,396
Years covered
23
2000–2022
Data points
1,013
What the numbers show
Number of public paid employees is currently reported for 80 countries. The highest value is 124,732 in Brazil; the lowest is 386 in Niger.
The median across all reporting countries is 2,396, and the mean is 7,522.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 323.
Over the past decade 51 countries rose and 27 fell. The largest increase was in Vietnam (up 1,239.5%), and the largest decrease in Honduras (down 73.4%).
Number of public paid employees: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil | 124,732 | 2017 | up 446.4% | volatile |
| 2 | Vietnam | 66,870 | 2019 | up 1,239.5% | volatile |
| 3 | Uruguay | 34,545 | 2020 | up 286.8% | volatile |
| 4 | Turkey | 28,003 | 2019 | up 42.7% | volatile |
| 5 | Mexico | 26,590 | 2020 | up 388.1% | volatile |
| 6 | Egypt | 19,953 | 2019 | up 377.7% | volatile |
| 7 | Jordan | 18,993 | 2016 | down 20.3% | rising |
| 8 | Colombia | 17,144 | 2020 | down 13.6% | volatile |
| 9 | Peru | 15,543 | 2021 | up 242.1% | volatile |
| 10 | India | 14,223 | 2019 | down 32.6% | rising |
| 11 | Philippines | 14,194 | 2019 | up 118.1% | volatile |
| 12 | Pakistan | 13,087 | 2020 | up 87.8% | volatile |
| 13 | Venezuela | 12,493 | 2006 | up 174.6% | rising |
| 14 | Chile | 11,892 | 2020 | up 107.1% | rising |
| 15 | Ethiopia | 10,997 | 2021 | up 57.3% | rising |
| 16 | South Africa | 10,368 | 2020 | down 33.8% | rising |
| 17 | Argentina | 8,504 | 2020 | up 3.3% | rising |
| 18 | United States | 7,991 | 2018 | down 16.6% | falling |
| 19 | Tunisia | 7,011 | 2015 | up 117.9% | volatile |
| 20 | Morocco | 6,844 | 2009 | — | flat |
| 21 | El Salvador | 6,798 | 2021 | up 169.0% | volatile |
| 22 | Costa Rica | 6,580 | 2021 | up 216.8% | volatile |
| 23 | Maldives | 4,060 | 2019 | up 227.9% | volatile |
| 24 | Bolivia | 3,926 | 2021 | up 133.3% | volatile |
| 25 | Spain | 3,786 | 2020 | up 15.1% | rising |
| 26 | United Kingdom | 3,710 | 2017 | up 37.6% | rising |
| 27 | Sri Lanka | 3,698 | 2016 | up 43.8% | flat |
| 28 | Armenia | 3,670 | 2021 | up 27.4% | flat |
| 29 | Portugal | 3,606 | 2020 | up 201.0% | volatile |
| 30 | Ukraine | 3,214 | 2013 | down 5.9% | falling |
| 31 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3,038 | 2019 | up 21.4% | flat |
| 32 | Mongolia | 3,030 | 2021 | down 34.9% | rising |
| 33 | France | 2,969 | 2020 | down 12.2% | rising |
| 34 | Poland | 2,783 | 2020 | up 7.1% | volatile |
| 35 | Finland | 2,718 | 2020 | down 8.7% | falling |
| 36 | Zambia | 2,712 | 2015 | up 8.6% | falling |
| 37 | Panama | 2,668 | 2021 | down 6.9% | falling |
| 38 | Afghanistan | 2,568 | 2019 | down 1.2% | rising |
| 39 | Georgia | 2,521 | 2013 | up 3.3% | falling |
| 40 | Bangladesh | 2,423 | 2015 | down 18.5% | falling |
| 41 | Slovenia | 2,370 | 2020 | down 8.6% | rising |
| 42 | Italy | 2,361 | 2020 | down 30.2% | falling |
| 43 | Greece | 2,338 | 2020 | up 70.8% | volatile |
| 44 | Ecuador | 2,294 | 2020 | down 34.5% | rising |
| 45 | Switzerland | 2,280 | 2020 | up 15.5% | rising |
| 46 | Australia | 2,248 | 2015 | up 1.3% | rising |
| 47 | Belgium | 2,244 | 2020 | up 18.0% | rising |
| 48 | Paraguay | 2,103 | 2021 | up 139.0% | rising |
| 49 | Russia | 2,082 | 2016 | up 15.5% | rising |
| 50 | Denmark | 1,984 | 2020 | — | falling |
| 51 | Guatemala | 1,983 | 2019 | up 51.3% | rising |
| 52 | Namibia | 1,912 | 2015 | up 91.8% | rising |
| 53 | Mauritius | 1,777 | 2017 | down 42.2% | rising |
| 54 | Moldova | 1,758 | 2015 | up 340.6% | volatile |
| 55 | Czechia | 1,715 | 2020 | down 0.6% | rising |
| 56 | Tanzania | 1,634 | 2020 | up 473.3% | volatile |
| 57 | Estonia | 1,564 | 2020 | up 31.4% | rising |
| 58 | Dominican Republic | 1,529 | 2019 | up 26.6% | rising |
| 59 | Slovakia | 1,513 | 2020 | down 20.4% | falling |
| 60 | Austria | 1,455 | 2020 | up 1.0% | rising |
| 61 | Latvia | 1,371 | 2020 | up 1.3% | flat |
| 62 | Bulgaria | 1,334 | 2019 | up 27.7% | rising |
| 63 | Cambodia | 1,333 | 2012 | down 16.1% | flat |
| 64 | Hungary | 1,330 | 2020 | down 42.1% | falling |
| 65 | Lithuania | 1,319 | 2020 | down 2.3% | flat |
| 66 | Croatia | 1,281 | 2020 | up 135.0% | rising |
| 67 | Iceland | 1,276 | 2013 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 68 | Albania | 1,270 | 2012 | up 34.1% | rising |
| 69 | Ireland | 1,240 | 2020 | up 21.1% | falling |
| 70 | Cameroon | 1,234 | 2022 | up 51.8% | falling |
| 71 | Malta | 1,208 | 2020 | up 23.8% | rising |
| 72 | Rwanda | 1,203 | 2020 | up 38.0% | volatile |
| 73 | Palestine | 1,126 | 2017 | down 33.0% | falling |
| 74 | Luxembourg | 1,032 | 2020 | down 18.9% | rising |
| 75 | Cyprus | 975 | 2020 | up 4.3% | rising |
| 76 | Romania | 902 | 2020 | down 3.2% | volatile |
| 77 | Montenegro | 851 | 2011 | up 93.0% | rising |
| 78 | Serbia | 835 | 2020 | down 56.3% | falling |
| 79 | Honduras | 662 | 2019 | down 73.4% | volatile |
| 80 | Niger | 386 | 2014 | down 29.8% | falling |