Iran vs United Arab Emirates
Iran vs United Arab Emirates: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending: 11.2% of government spending in Iran in 2025 and 17% of government spending in United Arab Emirates in 2014, by SIPRI estimates. In 2014 the value was higher in United Arab Emirates, by 2.2 percentage points, or 1.15 times that in Iran.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United Arab Emirates has been higher since 2013, when it overtook Iran.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Iran | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11.2 | – |
| 2024 | 11.9 | – |
| 2023 | 14.9 | – |
| 2022 | 14 | – |
| 2021 | 14.1 | – |
| 2020 | 14.5 | – |
| 2019 | 14.6 | – |
| 2018 | 14.6 | – |
| 2017 | 16.1 | – |
| 2016 | 15.4 | – |
| 2015 | 15.6 | – |
| 2014 | 14.8 | 17 |
| 2013 | 15.6 | 19.9 |
| 2012 | 19.3 | 17.4 |
| 2011 | 13 | 17.6 |
| 2010 | 16 | 18.7 |
| 2009 | 15.7 | 15.6 |
| 2008 | 13 | 16.7 |
| 2007 | 15.3 | 18.6 |
| 2006 | 14.3 | 20.6 |
| 2005 | 13.6 | 23.2 |
| 2004 | 14.9 | 26 |
| 2003 | 12.1 | 23.4 |
| 2002 | 11.1 | 22.9 |
| 2001 | 14.6 | 22.3 |
| 2000 | 14 | 26.2 |
| 1999 | 12.6 | 20.7 |
| 1998 | 12.9 | 20.6 |
| 1997 | 11.9 | 19.2 |
| 1996 | 10.7 | – |
| 1995 | 8.5 | – |
| 1994 | 7.6 | – |
| 1993 | 5.1 | – |
| 1992 | 9.9 | – |
| 1991 | 12.5 | – |
| 1990 | 14.5 | – |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, 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 150 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
Iran vs United Arab Emirates
Health
- Life expectancyIran: 77.7 years in 2023United Arab Emirates: 82.9 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIran: 1.1 per 100 live births in 2024United Arab Emirates: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIran: 9.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023United Arab Emirates: 4.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIran: 5.12% in 2017United Arab Emirates: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateIran: 5.4 per 100,000 people in 2017United Arab Emirates: 5.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIran: 90.6 million people in 2023United Arab Emirates: 10.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthIran: 1.12% a year in 2023United Arab Emirates: 3.7% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIran: 1.7 births per woman in 2023United Arab Emirates: 1.2 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIran: 77.4% in 2025United Arab Emirates: 86% in 2025
- Median ageIran: 32.9 years in 2023United Arab Emirates: 31.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIran: 7.9% in 2023United Arab Emirates: 1.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateIran: 2.9 per 1,000 people in 2023United Arab Emirates: 28.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personIran: $5,617 in 2025United Arab Emirates: $41,610 in 2024
- GDP growthIran: -0.9% a year in 2025United Arab Emirates: 6.2% a year in 2025
- InflationIran: 50.6% a year in 2025United Arab Emirates: 1.3% a year in 2025
- Government debtIran: 31.2% of GDP in 2024United Arab Emirates: 33.9% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIran: 2.09% of GDP in 2025United Arab Emirates: 5.64% of GDP in 2014
- Military spending in US dollarsIran: $7.45B in 2025United Arab Emirates: $27.8B in 2014
- Military spending per personIran: $80 in 2025United Arab Emirates: $2,840 in 2014
- Armed forces personnelIran: 650,000 people in 2020United Arab Emirates: 63,000 people in 2020
- National powerIran: 1.64% of world capability in 2022United Arab Emirates: 0.47% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIran: 2.35% of the labour force in 2020United Arab Emirates: 1.02% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIran: 42 million TIV in 2024United Arab Emirates: 868 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIran: 80 million TIV in 2025United Arab Emirates: 33 million TIV in 2025