Iraq vs Syria
Iraq vs Syria: Arms exports
Arms exports: 20 million TIV in Iraq in 1989 and 30 million TIV in Syria in 2010, by SIPRI estimates. In 1988 the value was higher in Iraq, by 154 million TIV, or 11 times that in Syria.
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Iraq has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1988.
- The world as a whole: 36.8 billion TIV in 1988.
Every year
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
| Year | Iraq | Syria | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | – | 33.5 billion |
| 2024 | – | – | 30.7 billion |
| 2023 | – | – | 29.5 billion |
| 2022 | – | – | 33.3 billion |
| 2021 | – | – | 27.1 billion |
| 2020 | – | – | 24.1 billion |
| 2019 | – | – | 27 billion |
| 2018 | – | – | 27.4 billion |
| 2017 | – | – | 31.3 billion |
| 2016 | – | – | 31.5 billion |
| 2015 | – | – | 28.7 billion |
| 2014 | – | – | 27.1 billion |
| 2013 | – | – | 27.4 billion |
| 2012 | – | – | 27.9 billion |
| 2011 | – | – | 29.9 billion |
| 2010 | – | 30 million | 25.8 billion |
| 2009 | – | 33 million | 24.4 billion |
| 2008 | – | – | 24.1 billion |
| 2007 | – | – | 26.5 billion |
| 2006 | – | 3 million | 24.5 billion |
| 2005 | – | – | 21.4 billion |
| 2004 | – | – | 21.3 billion |
| 2003 | – | – | 19.2 billion |
| 2002 | – | – | 17.7 billion |
| 2001 | – | – | 18.5 billion |
| 2000 | – | – | 20.5 billion |
| 1999 | – | – | 25.4 billion |
| 1998 | – | – | 27.9 billion |
| 1997 | – | 0 | 28.9 billion |
| 1996 | – | 0 | 23.7 billion |
| 1995 | – | – | 22.9 billion |
| 1994 | – | – | 23 billion |
| 1993 | – | 40 million | 25.8 billion |
| 1992 | – | 40 million | 24.3 billion |
| 1991 | – | – | 28.2 billion |
| 1990 | – | – | 30.2 billion |
| 1989 | 20 million | – | 34.9 billion |
| 1988 | 169 million | 15 million | 36.8 billion |
| 1987 | – | – | 39.4 billion |
| 1986 | – | 31 million | 39 billion |
| 1985 | – | 32 million | 38.2 billion |
| 1984 | – | 1 million | 41.6 billion |
| 1983 | – | 46 million | 43.9 billion |
| 1982 | – | 178 million | 46.2 billion |
| 1981 | – | – | 45.8 billion |
| 1980 | 28 million | – | 42.2 billion |
| 1979 | – | – | 38.4 billion |
| 1978 | – | – | 42.4 billion |
| 1977 | – | 0 | 40 billion |
| 1976 | – | – | 36 billion |
| 1975 | – | 2 million | 37.2 billion |
| 1974 | – | 2 million | 36.6 billion |
| 1973 | – | – | 36.3 billion |
| 1972 | – | – | 34.5 billion |
| 1971 | – | – | 32.9 billion |
| 1970 | – | 17 million | 25.3 billion |
| 1969 | – | – | 28.1 billion |
| 1968 | – | – | 26.1 billion |
| 1967 | – | – | 25.6 billion |
| 1966 | – | – | 25.8 billion |
| 1965 | – | – | 25.8 billion |
| 1964 | – | – | 26.7 billion |
| 1963 | – | – | 20.3 billion |
| 1962 | – | – | 17.5 billion |
| 1961 | – | – | 16.4 billion |
| 1960 | 3 million | – | 17.6 billion |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Major weapons the country sent abroad, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV): what the arms are worth as military capability, priced by their production cost, not what was paid.
- Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, via the World Bank.
- 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 Syria
Health
- Life expectancyIraq: 72.3 years in 2023Syria: 72.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIraq: 2.2 per 100 live births in 2024Syria: 1.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIraq: 19 per 1,000 live births in 2023Syria: 16.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIraq: 3.89% in 2017Syria: 3.58% in 2017
- Suicide rateIraq: 4.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Syria: 3.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIraq: 45.1 million people in 2023Syria: 23.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthIraq: 2.15% a year in 2023Syria: 4.92% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIraq: 3.25 births per woman in 2023Syria: 2.71 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIraq: 69.9% in 2025Syria: 72.1% in 2025
- Median ageIraq: 20.4 years in 2023Syria: 22.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIraq: 3.4% in 2023Syria: 4.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateIraq: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Syria: 32.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIraq: 2.45% of GDP in 2025Syria: 4.06% of GDP in 2010
- Military spending per personIraq: $139 in 2025Syria: $110 in 2011
- Military share of state spendingIraq: 5.5% of government spending in 2025Syria: 13.6% of government spending in 2010
- Armed forces personnelIraq: 459,000 people in 2020Syria: 269,000 people in 2020
- National powerIraq: 0.54% of world capability in 2022Syria: 0.29% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIraq: 4.4% of the labour force in 2020Syria: 5.44% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIraq: 55 million TIV in 2025Syria: 2 million TIV in 2025