Afghanistan vs Iran
Afghanistan vs Iran: Military spending per person
Military spending per person: $7 in Afghanistan in 2021 and $80 in Iran in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 2021 the value was higher in Iran, by $58, or 9.25 times that in Afghanistan.
US dollars per person · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Iran has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2004.
Every year
US dollars per person · SIPRI
| Year | Afghanistan | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | $80 |
| 2024 | – | $87 |
| 2023 | – | $82 |
| 2022 | – | $84 |
| 2021 | $7 | $65 |
| 2020 | $7 | $38 |
| 2019 | $6 | $57 |
| 2018 | $5 | $138 |
| 2017 | $5 | $165 |
| 2016 | $5 | $147 |
| 2015 | $6 | $129 |
| 2014 | $8 | $122 |
| 2013 | $7 | $150 |
| 2012 | $8 | $209 |
| 2011 | $11 | $183 |
| 2010 | $11 | $176 |
| 2009 | $9 | $166 |
| 2008 | $9 | $148 |
| 2007 | $8 | $126 |
| 2006 | $5 | $121 |
| 2005 | $5 | $96 |
| 2004 | $5 | $75 |
| 2003 | – | $55 |
| 2002 | – | $48 |
| 2001 | – | $155 |
| 2000 | – | $126 |
| 1999 | – | $102 |
| 1998 | – | $86 |
| 1997 | – | $73 |
| 1996 | – | $57 |
| 1995 | – | $40 |
| 1994 | – | $28 |
| 1993 | – | $23 |
| 1992 | – | $325 |
| 1991 | – | $296 |
| 1990 | – | $286 |
| 1989 | – | $292 |
| 1988 | – | $348 |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence for each person living there, in US dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Marked points are SIPRI’s own: a dot where it gives the figure as its estimate, a ring where it calls the figure highly uncertain.
- 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 in US dollarsAfghanistan: $8.55M in 1977Iran: $7.45B 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