India vs Iran
India vs Iran: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 0.58% of the labour force in India and 2.35% of the labour force in Iran, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Iran, by 1.77 percentage points, or 4.08 times that in India.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Iran has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- In 2020, India ranked 103 and Iran ranked 21 of 168 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 0.79% of the labour force in 2020.
Every year
% of the labour force · IISS
| Year | India | Iran | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0.58 | 2.35 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 0.57 | 2.23 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 0.58 | 2.24 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 0.59 | 1.97 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 0.59 | 2.04 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 0.56 | 2.13 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 0.56 | 2.21 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 0.57 | 2.22 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 0.57 | 2.21 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 0.56 | 2.31 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 0.56 | 2.25 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 0.56 | 2.24 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 0.56 | 2.32 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 0.56 | 2.25 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 0.57 | 2.36 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 0.67 | 2.39 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 0.59 | 1.98 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 0.55 | 2.63 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 0.56 | 2.64 | 1 |
| 2001 | 0.56 | 2.71 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 0.58 | 3.87 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 0.57 | 4.22 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 0.59 | 4.61 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 0.6 | 5.1 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 0.61 | 5.27 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 0.61 | 4.75 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 0.37 | 3.34 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 0.38 | 3.33 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 0.39 | 3.31 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 0.4 | 2.95 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 0.41 | 2.86 | 1.11 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel as a share of everyone working or looking for work, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 168 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
India vs Iran
Health
- Life expectancyIndia: 72 years in 2023Iran: 77.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIndia: 2.7 per 100 live births in 2024Iran: 1.1 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIndia: 22.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023Iran: 9.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIndia: 3.53% in 2017Iran: 5.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateIndia: 15.6 per 100,000 people in 2017Iran: 5.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIndia: 1.44 billion people in 2023Iran: 90.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthIndia: 0.89% a year in 2023Iran: 1.12% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIndia: 1.98 births per woman in 2023Iran: 1.7 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIndia: 35.7% in 2025Iran: 77.4% in 2025
- Median ageIndia: 28.1 years in 2023Iran: 32.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIndia: 6.9% in 2023Iran: 7.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateIndia: -0.7 per 1,000 people in 2023Iran: 2.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIndia: 2.3% of GDP in 2025Iran: 2.09% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIndia: $93.3B in 2025Iran: $7.45B in 2025
- Military spending per personIndia: $63 in 2025Iran: $80 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIndia: 8.2% of government spending in 2025Iran: 11.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIndia: 3.07 million people in 2020Iran: 650,000 people in 2020
- National powerIndia: 9.94% of world capability in 2022Iran: 1.64% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsIndia: 2.86 billion TIV in 2025Iran: 42 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsIndia: 81 million TIV in 2025Iran: 80 million TIV in 2025