Iran vs Iraq: National power

National power in 2022: 1.64% of world capability in Iran and 0.54% of world capability in Iraq, by Correlates of War estimates. In 2022 the value was higher in Iran, by 1.09 percentage points, or 3 times that in Iraq.

Watch it change on the map

% of world capability · Correlates of War

IranIraq

What the numbers say

Iran has been higher since 1991, when it overtook Iraq.
In 2022, Iran ranked 10 and Iraq ranked 34 of 195 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of world capability · Correlates of War

Year	Iran	Iraq
2022	1.64	0.54
2021	1.8	0.55
2020	1.75	0.56
2019	1.64	0.55
2018	1.66	0.52
2017	1.62	0.55
2016	1.54	0.5
2015	1.59	0.62
2014	1.47	0.66
2013	1.47	0.64
2012	1.55	0.62
2011	1.48	0.57
2010	1.38	0.76
2009	1.38	0.76
2008	1.39	0.77
2007	1.38	0.49
2006	1.41	0.5
2005	1.29	0.46
2004	1.3	0.56
2003	1.33	0.66
2002	1.3	0.67
2001	1.33	0.64
2000	1.29	0.62
1999	1.3	0.62
1998	1.25	0.62
1997	1.28	0.59
1996	1.22	0.63
1995	1.21	0.63
1994	1.16	0.64
1993	1.1	0.62
1992	1.07	0.61
1991	1.05	0.84
1990	0.92	1.26
1989	1.12	1.11
1988	1.12	1.09
1987	0.92	1.06
1986	0.87	0.96
1985	1.07	1
1984	1.17	1
1983	0.99	0.81
1982	1.01	0.66
1981	0.78	0.66
1980	0.78	0.59
1979	0.95	0.59
1978	1.03	0.51
1977	1.03	0.37
1976	1.05	0.39
1975	1.01	0.35
1974	0.88	0.32
1973	0.69	0.27
1972	0.64	0.26
1971	0.62	0.25
1970	0.61	0.22
1969	0.58	0.22
1968	0.56	0.22
1967	0.63	0.23
1966	0.62	0.25
1965	0.63	0.24
1964	0.61	0.21
1963	0.6	0.2
1962	0.61	0.21
1961	0.6	0.21
1960	0.63	0.19
1959	0.57	0.18
1958	0.56	0.18
1957	0.54	0.17
1956	0.51	0.16
1955	0.46	0.15
1954	0.39	0.14
1953	0.39	0.14
1952	0.39	0.13
1951	0.53	0.13
1950	0.62	0.13
1949	0.43	0.13
1948	0.43	0.13
1947	0.42	0.18
1946	0.45	0.21
1945	0.33	0.21
1944	0.35	0.19
1943	0.34	0.18
1942	0.38	0.16
1941	0.45	0.14
1940	0.37	0.12
1939	0.32	0.15
1938	0.45	0.16
1937	0.44	0.15
1936	0.44	0.14
1935	0.45	0.13
1934	0.5	0.11
1933	0.5	0.1
1932	0.39	0.11
1931	0.34	–
1930	0.36	–
1929	0.4	–
1928	0.36	–
1927	0.38	–
1926	0.37	–
1925	0.38	–
1924	0.36	–
1923	0.34	–
1922	0.35	–
1921	0.35	–
1920	0.35	–
1919	0.36	–
1918	0.31	–
1917	0.29	–
1916	0.33	–
1915	0.32	–
1914	0.45	–
1913	0.37	–
1912	0.38	–
1911	0.37	–
1910	0.38	–
1909	0.38	–
1908	0.54	–
1907	0.39	–
1906	0.39	–
1905	0.38	–
1904	0.38	–
1903	0.38	–
1902	0.38	–
1901	0.39	–
1900	0.39	–
1899	0.4	–
1898	0.4	–
1897	0.41	–
1896	0.41	–
1895	0.41	–
1894	0.42	–
1893	0.42	–
1892	0.42	–
1891	0.42	–
1890	0.42	–
1889	0.89	–
1888	0.75	–
1887	0.43	–
1886	1.25	–
1885	0.9	–
1884	1.21	–
1883	0.46	–
1882	1.18	–
1881	0.44	–
1880	0.45	–
1879	0.45	–
1878	0.43	–
1877	0.44	–
1876	1.09	–
1875	0.43	–
1874	0.43	–
1873	0.41	–
1872	0.41	–
1871	0.39	–
1870	0.41	–
1869	0.41	–
1868	1.12	–
1867	0.4	–
1866	0.41	–
1865	0.38	–
1864	0.37	–
1863	0.38	–
1862	0.38	–
1861	0.38	–
1860	0.39	–
1859	0.61	–
1858	0.61	–
1857	0.61	–
1856	0.58	–
1855	0.56	–

Each country on its own

Good to know

The Correlates of War’s Composite Index of National Capability: the country’s share of the world’s military spending, soldiers, iron and steel, energy use, people and city dwellers, averaged.
Source: 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 195 countries with a value in 2022, highest first.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Iran vs Iraq: National power

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

Iran vs Iraq

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment