Armed forces personnel, total in Iraq

Iraq: Armed forces personnel, total was 459,000 in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
459,000
Change on year
up 34.6%
World rank
15th
of 173 countries
All-time high
1.39 million
in 1990
All-time low
177,600
in 2013
Years of data
33
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel, total in Iraq, 1985–2020

250.0k500.0k750.0k1.0M1.2M1.5M1985200220201985: 1.0M1989: 1.0M1990: 1.4M1991: 475.0k1992: 407.0k1993: 407.0k1994: 425.0k1995: 407.3k1996: 432.5k1997: 442.9k1998: 479.0k1999: 479.0k2000: 479.0k2001: 467.0k2002: 432.0k2003: 432.0k2004: 179.0k2005: 227.0k2006: 495.0k2007: 362.0k2008: 577.0k2009: 659.4k2010: 802.4k2011: 802.4k2012: 802.4k2013: 177.6k2014: 209.0k2015: 209.0k2016: 209.0k2017: 209.0k2018: 336.0k2019: 341.0k2020: 459.0k

Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Analysis

In 2020, armed forces personnel, total in Iraq stood at 459,000.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 34.6% on the previous year and down 42.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Iraq peaked at 1.39 million in 1990 and was at its lowest, 177,600, in 2013.

Iraq ranks 15th of 173 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 1.00 million 1.00 million 1.00 million 2
1990s 534,470 407,000 1.39 million 10
2000s 430,940 179,000 659,395 10
2010s 409,780 177,600 802,400 10
2020s 459,000 459,000 459,000 1

Countries ranked near Iraq

  1. 12 Vietnam 522,000 compare
  2. 13 Turkey 512,000 compare
  3. 14 Myanmar 463,000 compare
  4. 16 Thailand 455,000 compare
  5. 17 Colombia 428,000 compare
  6. 18 Venezuela 343,000 compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for Iraq

All data for Iraq →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total in Iraq?
Armed forces personnel, total in Iraq was 459,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Iraq?
The highest recorded value was 1.39 million in 1990.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Iraq?
The lowest recorded value was 177,600 in 2013.
How does Iraq rank for armed forces personnel, total?
Iraq ranks 15th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Iraq?
Over the last ten years it is down 42.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Iraq data come from?
The figures come from The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as part of Armed forces personnel, total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Armed forces personnel, total
Source
The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
219 places, 6,823 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.