Iraq vs Kuwait
Iraq vs Kuwait: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 459,000 people in Iraq and 25,000 people in Kuwait, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Iraq, by 434,000 people, or 18 times that in Kuwait.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Iraq has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Iraq | Kuwait | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 459,000 | 25,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 341,000 | 25,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 336,000 | 24,500 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 209,000 | 25,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 209,000 | 22,600 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 209,000 | 22,600 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 209,000 | 22,600 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 177,600 | 22,600 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 802,400 | 22,600 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 802,400 | 22,600 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 802,400 | 22,600 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 659,400 | 22,600 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 577,000 | 23,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 362,000 | 23,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 495,000 | 23,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 227,000 | 23,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 179,000 | 21,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 432,000 | 22,100 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 432,000 | 22,100 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 467,000 | 20,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 479,000 | 20,300 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 479,000 | 20,300 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 479,000 | 20,300 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 442,900 | 20,300 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 432,500 | 20,800 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 407,300 | 21,600 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 425,000 | 15,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 407,000 | 12,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 407,000 | 12,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 475,000 | 10,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 1.39 million | 7,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 1 million | 20,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 1 million | 12,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 788,000 | 15,000 | – |
| 1983 | 434,000 | 13,000 | – |
| 1982 | 404,000 | 13,000 | – |
| 1981 | 392,000 | 12,000 | – |
| 1980 | 430,000 | 12,000 | – |
| 1979 | 444,000 | 11,000 | – |
| 1978 | 362,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1977 | 140,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1976 | 190,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1975 | 155,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1974 | 110,000 | 15,000 | – |
| 1973 | 105,000 | 14,000 | – |
| 1972 | 105,000 | 14,000 | – |
| 1971 | 105,000 | 14,000 | – |
| 1970 | 95,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1969 | 90,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1968 | 90,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1967 | 90,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1966 | 90,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1965 | 90,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1964 | 80,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1963 | 80,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1962 | 91,000 | 1,000 | – |
| 1961 | 90,000 | 1,000 | – |
| 1960 | 74,000 | – | – |
| 1959 | 57,000 | – | – |
| 1958 | 64,000 | – | – |
| 1957 | 60,000 | – | – |
| 1956 | 57,000 | – | – |
| 1955 | 53,000 | – | – |
| 1954 | 49,000 | – | – |
| 1953 | 46,000 | – | – |
| 1952 | 42,000 | – | – |
| 1951 | 38,000 | – | – |
| 1950 | 35,000 | – | – |
| 1949 | 31,000 | – | – |
| 1948 | 31,000 | – | – |
| 1947 | 31,000 | – | – |
| 1946 | 51,000 | – | – |
| 1939 | 19,000 | – | – |
| 1938 | 28,000 | – | – |
| 1937 | 23,000 | – | – |
| 1936 | 19,000 | – | – |
| 1935 | 14,000 | – | – |
| 1934 | 10,000 | – | – |
| 1933 | 10,000 | – | – |
| 1932 | 12,000 | – | – |
- 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
Iraq vs Kuwait
Health
- Life expectancyIraq: 72.3 years in 2023Kuwait: 80.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIraq: 2.2 per 100 live births in 2024Kuwait: 0.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIraq: 19 per 1,000 live births in 2023Kuwait: 7.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterIraq: 59.7% in 2022Kuwait: 100% in 2022
- DepressionIraq: 3.89% in 2017Kuwait: 3.64% in 2017
- Suicide rateIraq: 4.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Kuwait: 2.5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIraq: 45.1 million people in 2023Kuwait: 4.84 million people in 2023
- Population growthIraq: 2.15% a year in 2023Kuwait: 1.88% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIraq: 3.25 births per woman in 2023Kuwait: 1.53 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIraq: 69.9% in 2025Kuwait: 100% in 2025
- Median ageIraq: 20.4 years in 2023Kuwait: 34.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIraq: 3.4% in 2023Kuwait: 3% in 2023
- Net migration rateIraq: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Kuwait: 10.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIraq: 2.45% of GDP in 2025Kuwait: 4.69% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIraq: $6.4B in 2025Kuwait: $7.92B in 2025
- Military spending per personIraq: $139 in 2025Kuwait: $1,623 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIraq: 5.5% of government spending in 2025Kuwait: 10.1% of government spending in 2025
- National powerIraq: 0.54% of world capability in 2022Kuwait: 0.2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIraq: 4.4% of the labour force in 2020Kuwait: 1.03% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIraq: 55 million TIV in 2025Kuwait: 311 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIraq: 20 million TIV in 1989Kuwait: 95 million TIV in 1998