Afghanistan vs Iraq
Afghanistan vs Iraq: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 165,000 people in Afghanistan and 459,000 people in Iraq, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Iraq, by 294,000 people, or 2.78 times that in Afghanistan.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Iraq has been higher since 2018, when it overtook Afghanistan.
- In 2020, Afghanistan ranked 37 and Iraq ranked 15 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Afghanistan | Iraq | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 165,000 | 459,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 278,000 | 341,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 272,900 | 336,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 323,000 | 209,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 323,000 | 209,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 319,400 | 209,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 308,800 | 209,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 330,700 | 177,600 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 338,200 | 802,400 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 340,400 | 802,400 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 306,800 | 802,400 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 255,700 | 659,400 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 94,000 | 577,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 51,000 | 362,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 51,000 | 495,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 27,000 | 227,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 27,000 | 179,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 130,000 | 432,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 120,000 | 432,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | – | 467,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 400,000 | 479,000 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 400,000 | 479,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 400,000 | 479,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 429,000 | 442,900 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 429,000 | 432,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 383,000 | 407,300 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 45,000 | 425,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 45,000 | 407,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 45,000 | 407,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 45,000 | 475,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 58,000 | 1.39 million | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 55,000 | 1 million | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 47,000 | 1 million | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 46,000 | 788,000 | – |
| 1983 | 46,000 | 434,000 | – |
| 1982 | 55,000 | 404,000 | – |
| 1981 | 45,000 | 392,000 | – |
| 1980 | 43,000 | 430,000 | – |
| 1979 | 89,000 | 444,000 | – |
| 1978 | 110,000 | 362,000 | – |
| 1977 | 143,000 | 140,000 | – |
| 1976 | 142,000 | 190,000 | – |
| 1975 | 130,000 | 155,000 | – |
| 1974 | 80,000 | 110,000 | – |
| 1973 | 91,000 | 105,000 | – |
| 1972 | 91,000 | 105,000 | – |
| 1971 | 91,000 | 105,000 | – |
| 1970 | 91,000 | 95,000 | – |
| 1969 | 89,000 | 90,000 | – |
| 1968 | 89,000 | 90,000 | – |
| 1967 | 95,000 | 90,000 | – |
| 1966 | 97,000 | 90,000 | – |
| 1965 | 97,000 | 90,000 | – |
| 1964 | 112,000 | 80,000 | – |
| 1963 | 110,000 | 80,000 | – |
| 1962 | 104,000 | 91,000 | – |
| 1961 | 110,000 | 90,000 | – |
| 1960 | 60,000 | 74,000 | – |
| 1959 | 50,000 | 57,000 | – |
| 1958 | 43,000 | 64,000 | – |
| 1957 | 43,000 | 60,000 | – |
| 1956 | 43,000 | 57,000 | – |
| 1955 | 43,000 | 53,000 | – |
| 1954 | 41,000 | 49,000 | – |
| 1953 | 41,000 | 46,000 | – |
| 1952 | 60,000 | 42,000 | – |
| 1951 | 60,000 | 38,000 | – |
| 1950 | 75,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1949 | 75,000 | 31,000 | – |
| 1948 | 90,000 | 31,000 | – |
| 1947 | 100,000 | 31,000 | – |
| 1946 | 90,000 | 51,000 | – |
| 1945 | 90,000 | – | – |
| 1944 | 90,000 | – | – |
| 1943 | 90,000 | – | – |
| 1942 | 90,000 | – | – |
| 1941 | 90,000 | – | – |
| 1940 | 60,000 | – | – |
| 1939 | 103,000 | 19,000 | – |
| 1938 | 103,000 | 28,000 | – |
| 1937 | 103,000 | 23,000 | – |
| 1936 | 103,000 | 19,000 | – |
| 1935 | 72,000 | 14,000 | – |
| 1934 | 45,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1933 | 72,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1932 | 60,000 | 12,000 | – |
| 1931 | 60,000 | – | – |
| 1930 | 60,000 | – | – |
| 1929 | 60,000 | – | – |
| 1928 | 60,000 | – | – |
| 1927 | 76,000 | – | – |
| 1926 | 76,000 | – | – |
| 1925 | 76,000 | – | – |
| 1924 | 65,000 | – | – |
| 1923 | 65,000 | – | – |
| 1922 | 55,000 | – | – |
| 1921 | 55,000 | – | – |
| 1920 | 55,000 | – | – |
- 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
Afghanistan vs Iraq
Health
- Life expectancyAfghanistan: 66 years in 2023Iraq: 72.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityAfghanistan: 5.3 per 100 live births in 2024Iraq: 2.2 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityAfghanistan: 44 per 1,000 live births in 2023Iraq: 19 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterAfghanistan: 30% in 2022Iraq: 59.7% in 2022
- DepressionAfghanistan: 4.14% in 2017Iraq: 3.89% in 2017
- Suicide rateAfghanistan: 9.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Iraq: 4.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationAfghanistan: 41.5 million people in 2023Iraq: 45.1 million people in 2023
- Population growthAfghanistan: 2.85% a year in 2023Iraq: 2.15% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateAfghanistan: 4.84 births per woman in 2023Iraq: 3.25 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationAfghanistan: 25.9% in 2025Iraq: 69.9% in 2025
- Median ageAfghanistan: 16.9 years in 2023Iraq: 20.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overAfghanistan: 2.4% in 2023Iraq: 3.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateAfghanistan: -1.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Iraq: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingAfghanistan: 1.83% of GDP in 2021Iraq: 2.45% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsAfghanistan: $8.55M in 1977Iraq: $6.4B in 2025
- Military spending per personAfghanistan: $7 in 2021Iraq: $139 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingAfghanistan: 5% of government spending in 2020Iraq: 5.5% of government spending in 2025
- National powerAfghanistan: 0.29% of world capability in 2022Iraq: 0.54% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersAfghanistan: 1.82% of the labour force in 2020Iraq: 4.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsAfghanistan: 65 million TIV in 2021Iraq: 55 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsAfghanistan: 1 million TIV in 1992Iraq: 20 million TIV in 1989