Afghanistan vs Iraq
Afghanistan vs Iraq: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars: $8.55M in Afghanistan in 1977 and $6.4B in Iraq in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 1977 the value was higher in Iraq, by $2.09B, or 250 times that in Afghanistan.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Iraq has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1970.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Afghanistan | Iraq |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | $6.4B |
| 2024 | – | $6.34B |
| 2023 | – | $5.07B |
| 2022 | – | $4.82B |
| 2021 | – | $5.11B |
| 2020 | – | $5.3B |
| 2019 | – | $7.14B |
| 2018 | – | $5.89B |
| 2017 | – | $6.93B |
| 2016 | – | $5.58B |
| 2015 | – | $8.92B |
| 2014 | – | $6.51B |
| 2013 | – | $7.48B |
| 2012 | – | $4.06B |
| 2011 | – | $4.46B |
| 2010 | – | $4.14B |
| 2009 | – | $3.68B |
| 2008 | – | $3.86B |
| 2007 | – | $2.92B |
| 2006 | – | $1.91B |
| 2005 | – | $2.66B |
| 2004 | – | $1.97B |
| 1978 | – | $1.99B |
| 1977 | $8.55M | $2.1B |
| 1976 | $8.11M | $2.01B |
| 1975 | $6.36M | $2.05B |
| 1974 | $6.06M | $2.02B |
| 1973 | $6.23M | $1.03B |
| 1972 | – | $828M |
| 1971 | – | $856M |
| 1970 | $5.37M | $843M |
| 1969 | – | $824M |
| 1968 | – | $676M |
| 1967 | – | $556M |
| 1966 | – | $575M |
| 1965 | – | $563M |
| 1964 | – | $460M |
| 1963 | – | $405M |
| 1962 | – | $349M |
| 1961 | – | $328M |
| 1960 | – | $313M |
| 1959 | – | $273M |
| 1958 | – | $233M |
| 1957 | – | $217M |
- Estimate
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.
- 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 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 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
- Armed forces personnelAfghanistan: 165,000 people in 2020Iraq: 459,000 people in 2020
- 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