Afghanistan vs Iran
Afghanistan vs Iran: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars: $8.55M in Afghanistan in 1977 and $7.45B in Iran in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 1977 the value was higher in Iran, by $8.84B, or 1,000 times that in Afghanistan.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Iran has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1970.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Afghanistan | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | $7.45B |
| 2024 | – | $7.89B |
| 2023 | – | $8.83B |
| 2022 | – | $8.36B |
| 2021 | – | $7.95B |
| 2020 | – | $6.54B |
| 2019 | – | $6.29B |
| 2018 | – | $7.51B |
| 2017 | – | $8.46B |
| 2016 | – | $7.52B |
| 2015 | – | $6.55B |
| 2014 | – | $6.16B |
| 2013 | – | $6.18B |
| 2012 | – | $7.67B |
| 2011 | – | $7.36B |
| 2010 | – | $8.53B |
| 2009 | – | $8.39B |
| 2008 | – | $8.02B |
| 2007 | – | $8.33B |
| 2006 | – | $9.06B |
| 2005 | – | $7.57B |
| 2004 | – | $6.36B |
| 2003 | – | $4.92B |
| 2002 | – | $4.22B |
| 2001 | – | $3.92B |
| 2000 | – | $3.52B |
| 1999 | – | $3.2B |
| 1998 | – | $3.16B |
| 1997 | – | $3.16B |
| 1996 | – | $2.83B |
| 1995 | – | $2.57B |
| 1994 | – | $2.62B |
| 1993 | – | $2.12B |
| 1992 | – | $1.81B |
| 1991 | – | $2.09B |
| 1990 | – | $2.32B |
| 1989 | – | $2.61B |
| 1988 | – | $3.53B |
| 1987 | – | $3.81B |
| 1986 | – | $4.16B |
| 1985 | – | $5.19B |
| 1984 | – | $4.97B |
| 1983 | – | $5.7B |
| 1982 | – | $6.08B |
| 1981 | – | $5.66B |
| 1980 | – | $3.8B |
| 1979 | – | $4.69B |
| 1978 | – | $8.42B |
| 1977 | $8.55M | $8.85B |
| 1976 | $8.11M | $10.6B |
| 1975 | $6.36M | $9.37B |
| 1974 | $6.06M | $6.89B |
| 1973 | $6.23M | $994M |
| 1972 | – | $929M |
| 1971 | – | $1.07B |
| 1970 | $5.37M | $1.72B |
| 1969 | – | $1.59B |
| 1968 | – | $1.28B |
| 1967 | – | $972M |
| 1966 | – | $764M |
| 1965 | – | $594M |
| 1964 | – | $472M |
| 1963 | – | $406M |
| 1962 | – | $348M |
| 1961 | – | $338M |
| 1960 | – | $324M |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, in constant 2024 US dollars so that years compare, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Ranks count the 151 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Afghanistan vs Iran
Health
- Life expectancyAfghanistan: 66 years in 2023Iran: 77.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityAfghanistan: 5.3 per 100 live births in 2024Iran: 1.1 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityAfghanistan: 44 per 1,000 live births in 2023Iran: 9.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterAfghanistan: 30% in 2022Iran: 94.2% in 2022
- DepressionAfghanistan: 4.14% in 2017Iran: 5.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateAfghanistan: 9.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Iran: 5.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationAfghanistan: 41.5 million people in 2023Iran: 90.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthAfghanistan: 2.85% a year in 2023Iran: 1.12% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateAfghanistan: 4.84 births per woman in 2023Iran: 1.7 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationAfghanistan: 25.9% in 2025Iran: 77.4% in 2025
- Median ageAfghanistan: 16.9 years in 2023Iran: 32.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overAfghanistan: 2.4% in 2023Iran: 7.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateAfghanistan: -1.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Iran: 2.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingAfghanistan: 1.83% of GDP in 2021Iran: 2.09% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personAfghanistan: $7 in 2021Iran: $80 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingAfghanistan: 5% of government spending in 2020Iran: 11.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelAfghanistan: 165,000 people in 2020Iran: 650,000 people in 2020
- National powerAfghanistan: 0.29% of world capability in 2022Iran: 1.64% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersAfghanistan: 1.82% of the labour force in 2020Iran: 2.35% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsAfghanistan: 65 million TIV in 2021Iran: 42 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsAfghanistan: 1 million TIV in 1992Iran: 80 million TIV in 2025