Afghanistan vs Iran

Afghanistan vs Iran: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 165,000 people in Afghanistan and 650,000 people in Iran, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Iran, by 485,000 people, or 3.94 times that in Afghanistan.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Afghanistan vs Iran: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 165,000 people in Afghanistan and 650,000 people in Iran, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Iran, by 485,000 people, or 3.94 times that in Afghanistan.
AfghanistanIranEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • Iran has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
  • In 2020, Afghanistan ranked 37 and Iran ranked 10 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.

Every year

people · IISS

YearAfghanistanIranWorld
2020165,000650,00027.4 million
2019278,000650,00027.7 million
2018272,900650,00027.7 million
2017323,000563,00027.4 million
2016323,000563,00027.5 million
2015319,400563,00027.4 million
2014308,800563,00027.3 million
2013330,700563,00027.2 million
2012338,200563,00028.2 million
2011340,400563,00028 million
2010306,800563,00028.1 million
2009255,700563,00027.9 million
200894,000563,00027.5 million
200751,000563,00027.3 million
200651,000585,00027 million
200527,000585,00028.5 million
200427,000460,00027.1 million
2003130,000580,00028.2 million
2002120,000560,00028.3 million
2001–553,00028.2 million
2000400,000753,00029.4 million
1999400,000785,60029.6 million
1998400,000820,00029.9 million
1997429,000868,00029.9 million
1996429,000863,00030.2 million
1995383,000763,00030.2 million
199445,000528,00023.2 million
199345,000528,00023.7 million
199245,000528,00024.5 million
199145,000465,00022.7 million
199058,000440,00023.9 million
198955,000604,00024.3 million
198547,000610,00022.2 million
198446,000335,000–
198346,000240,000–
198255,000240,000–
198145,000260,000–
198043,000305,000–
197989,000415,000–
1978110,000350,000–
1977143,000350,000–
1976142,000420,000–
1975130,000385,000–
197480,000310,000–
197391,000285,000–
197291,000265,000–
197191,000255,000–
197091,000245,000–
196989,000225,000–
196889,000210,000–
196795,000210,000–
196697,000210,000–
196597,000205,000–
1964112,000200,000–
1963110,000200,000–
1962104,000200,000–
1961110,000185,000–
196060,000208,000–
195950,000157,000–
195843,000147,000–
195743,000138,000–
195643,000128,000–
195543,000128,000–
195441,000132,000–
195341,000132,000–
195260,000132,000–
195160,000123,000–
195075,000114,000–
194975,000114,000–
194890,00092,000–
1947100,00091,000–
194690,000101,000–
194590,00090,000–
194490,00086,000–
194390,00080,000–
194290,00065,000–
194190,000124,000–
194060,000120,000–
1939103,00032,000–
1938103,00090,000–
1937103,00092,000–
1936103,00094,000–
193572,00095,000–
193445,00097,000–
193372,00097,000–
193260,00040,000–
193160,00040,000–
193060,00040,000–
192960,00040,000–
192860,00040,000–
192776,00040,000–
192676,00040,000–
192576,00040,000–
192465,00028,000–
192365,00030,000–
192255,00033,000–
192155,00037,000–
192055,00040,000–
1919–43,000–
1918–46,000–
1917–5,000–
1916–59,000–
1915–59,000–
1914–59,000–
1913–30,000–
1912–30,000–
1911–30,000–
1910–30,000–
1909–30,000–
1908–30,000–
1907–30,000–
1906–30,000–
1905–30,000–
1904–25,000–
1903–25,000–
1902–25,000–
1901–25,000–
1900–25,000–
1899–25,000–
1898–25,000–
1897–25,000–
1896–25,000–
1895–25,000–
1894–25,000–
1893–25,000–
1892–25,000–
1891–25,000–
1890–25,000–
1889–25,000–
1888–25,000–
1887–25,000–
1886–25,000–
1885–25,000–
1884–30,000–
1883–30,000–
1882–30,000–
1881–30,000–
1880–30,000–
1879–30,000–
1878–30,000–
1877–30,000–
1876–30,000–
1875–20,000–
1874–20,000–
1873–20,000–
1872–20,000–
1871–20,000–
1870–20,000–
1869–20,000–
1868–20,000–
1867–20,000–
1866–20,000–
1865–19,000–
1864–19,000–
1863–19,000–
1862–19,000–
1861–19,000–
1860–19,000–
1859–18,000–
1858–18,000–
1857–18,000–
1856–18,000–
1855–18,000–
  • 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War

Each country on its own

Good to know

  • Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
  • Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
  • Before 1985: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
  • Ranks count the 170 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
  • The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

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