Iran vs Pakistan
Iran vs Pakistan: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 650,000 people in Iran and 943,000 people in Pakistan, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Pakistan, by 293,000 people, or 1.45 times that in Iran.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Pakistan has been higher since 1998, when it overtook Iran.
- In 2020, Iran ranked 10 and Pakistan ranked 6 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Iran | Pakistan | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 650,000 | 943,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 650,000 | 943,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 650,000 | 944,800 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 563,000 | 936,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 563,000 | 935,800 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 563,000 | 935,800 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 563,000 | 925,800 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 563,000 | 947,800 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 563,000 | 947,800 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 563,000 | 946,000 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 563,000 | 946,000 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 563,000 | 921,000 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 563,000 | 921,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 563,000 | 921,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 585,000 | 923,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 585,000 | 921,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 460,000 | 921,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 580,000 | 909,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 560,000 | 909,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 553,000 | 908,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 753,000 | 900,000 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 785,600 | 834,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 820,000 | 834,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 868,000 | 834,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 863,000 | 835,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 763,000 | 846,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 528,000 | 580,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 528,000 | 580,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 528,000 | 580,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 465,000 | 565,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 440,000 | 550,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 604,000 | 520,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 610,000 | 482,800 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 335,000 | 479,000 | – |
| 1983 | 240,000 | 479,000 | – |
| 1982 | 240,000 | 588,000 | – |
| 1981 | 260,000 | 560,000 | – |
| 1980 | 305,000 | 467,000 | – |
| 1979 | 415,000 | 544,000 | – |
| 1978 | 350,000 | 518,000 | – |
| 1977 | 350,000 | 588,000 | – |
| 1976 | 420,000 | 604,000 | – |
| 1975 | 385,000 | 502,000 | – |
| 1974 | 310,000 | 395,000 | – |
| 1973 | 285,000 | 466,000 | – |
| 1972 | 265,000 | 350,000 | – |
| 1971 | 255,000 | 404,000 | – |
| 1970 | 245,000 | 390,000 | – |
| 1969 | 225,000 | 390,000 | – |
| 1968 | 210,000 | 357,000 | – |
| 1967 | 210,000 | 351,000 | – |
| 1966 | 210,000 | 300,000 | – |
| 1965 | 205,000 | 277,000 | – |
| 1964 | 200,000 | 275,000 | – |
| 1963 | 200,000 | 270,000 | – |
| 1962 | 200,000 | 249,000 | – |
| 1961 | 185,000 | 243,000 | – |
| 1960 | 208,000 | 223,000 | – |
| 1959 | 157,000 | 223,000 | – |
| 1958 | 147,000 | 223,000 | – |
| 1957 | 138,000 | 206,000 | – |
| 1956 | 128,000 | 190,000 | – |
| 1955 | 128,000 | 199,000 | – |
| 1954 | 132,000 | 208,000 | – |
| 1953 | 132,000 | 218,000 | – |
| 1952 | 132,000 | 227,000 | – |
| 1951 | 123,000 | 237,000 | – |
| 1950 | 114,000 | 246,000 | – |
| 1949 | 114,000 | 256,000 | – |
| 1948 | 92,000 | 265,000 | – |
| 1947 | 91,000 | 275,000 | – |
| 1946 | 101,000 | – | – |
| 1945 | 90,000 | – | – |
| 1944 | 86,000 | – | – |
| 1943 | 80,000 | – | – |
| 1942 | 65,000 | – | – |
| 1941 | 124,000 | – | – |
| 1940 | 120,000 | – | – |
| 1939 | 32,000 | – | – |
| 1938 | 90,000 | – | – |
| 1937 | 92,000 | – | – |
| 1936 | 94,000 | – | – |
| 1935 | 95,000 | – | – |
| 1934 | 97,000 | – | – |
| 1933 | 97,000 | – | – |
| 1932 | 40,000 | – | – |
| 1931 | 40,000 | – | – |
| 1930 | 40,000 | – | – |
| 1929 | 40,000 | – | – |
| 1928 | 40,000 | – | – |
| 1927 | 40,000 | – | – |
| 1926 | 40,000 | – | – |
| 1925 | 40,000 | – | – |
| 1924 | 28,000 | – | – |
| 1923 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1922 | 33,000 | – | – |
| 1921 | 37,000 | – | – |
| 1920 | 40,000 | – | – |
| 1919 | 43,000 | – | – |
| 1918 | 46,000 | – | – |
| 1917 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1916 | 59,000 | – | – |
| 1915 | 59,000 | – | – |
| 1914 | 59,000 | – | – |
| 1913 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1912 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1911 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1910 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1909 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1908 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1907 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1906 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1905 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1904 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1903 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1902 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1901 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1900 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1899 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1898 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1897 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1896 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1895 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1894 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1893 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1892 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1891 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1890 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1889 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1888 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1887 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1886 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1885 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1884 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1883 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1882 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1881 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1880 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1879 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1878 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1877 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1876 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1875 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1874 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1873 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1872 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1871 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1870 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1869 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1868 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1867 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1866 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1865 | 19,000 | – | – |
| 1864 | 19,000 | – | – |
| 1863 | 19,000 | – | – |
| 1862 | 19,000 | – | – |
| 1861 | 19,000 | – | – |
| 1860 | 19,000 | – | – |
| 1859 | 18,000 | – | – |
| 1858 | 18,000 | – | – |
| 1857 | 18,000 | – | – |
| 1856 | 18,000 | – | – |
| 1855 | 18,000 | – | – |
- 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
Iran vs Pakistan
Health
- Life expectancyIran: 77.7 years in 2023Pakistan: 67.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIran: 1.1 per 100 live births in 2024Pakistan: 5.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIran: 9.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Pakistan: 49.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterIran: 94.2% in 2022Pakistan: 50.6% in 2022
- DepressionIran: 5.12% in 2017Pakistan: 3.33% in 2017
- Suicide rateIran: 5.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Pakistan: 4.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIran: 90.6 million people in 2023Pakistan: 248 million people in 2023
- Population growthIran: 1.12% a year in 2023Pakistan: 1.48% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIran: 1.7 births per woman in 2023Pakistan: 3.61 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIran: 77.4% in 2025Pakistan: 39.5% in 2025
- Median ageIran: 32.9 years in 2023Pakistan: 20.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIran: 7.9% in 2023Pakistan: 4.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateIran: 2.9 per 1,000 people in 2023Pakistan: -6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIran: 2.09% of GDP in 2025Pakistan: 2.91% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIran: $7.45B in 2025Pakistan: $11.5B in 2025
- Military spending per personIran: $80 in 2025Pakistan: $47 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIran: 11.2% of government spending in 2025Pakistan: 13.8% of government spending in 2025
- National powerIran: 1.64% of world capability in 2022Pakistan: 1.77% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIran: 2.35% of the labour force in 2020Pakistan: 1.25% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIran: 42 million TIV in 2024Pakistan: 706 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIran: 80 million TIV in 2025Pakistan: 127 million TIV in 2025