Iraq vs Syria
Iraq vs Syria: National power
National power in 2022: 0.54% of world capability in Iraq and 0.29% of world capability in Syria, by Correlates of War estimates. In 2022 the value was higher in Iraq, by 0.25 percentage points, or 1.87 times that in Syria.
% of world capability · Correlates of War
What the numbers say
- Iraq has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1946.
- In 2022, Iraq ranked 34 and Syria ranked 51 of 195 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of world capability · Correlates of War
| Year | Iraq | Syria |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 0.54 | 0.29 |
| 2021 | 0.55 | 0.3 |
| 2020 | 0.56 | 0.29 |
| 2019 | 0.55 | 0.26 |
| 2018 | 0.52 | 0.28 |
| 2017 | 0.55 | 0.25 |
| 2016 | 0.5 | 0.27 |
| 2015 | 0.62 | 0.31 |
| 2014 | 0.66 | 0.31 |
| 2013 | 0.64 | 0.32 |
| 2012 | 0.62 | 0.48 |
| 2011 | 0.57 | 0.49 |
| 2010 | 0.76 | 0.46 |
| 2009 | 0.76 | 0.43 |
| 2008 | 0.77 | 0.42 |
| 2007 | 0.49 | 0.44 |
| 2006 | 0.5 | 0.44 |
| 2005 | 0.46 | 0.43 |
| 2004 | 0.56 | 0.43 |
| 2003 | 0.66 | 0.44 |
| 2002 | 0.67 | 0.42 |
| 2001 | 0.64 | 0.46 |
| 2000 | 0.62 | 0.43 |
| 1999 | 0.62 | 0.41 |
| 1998 | 0.62 | 0.41 |
| 1997 | 0.59 | 0.43 |
| 1996 | 0.63 | 0.41 |
| 1995 | 0.63 | 0.4 |
| 1994 | 0.64 | 0.4 |
| 1993 | 0.62 | 0.49 |
| 1992 | 0.61 | 0.45 |
| 1991 | 0.84 | 0.48 |
| 1990 | 1.26 | 0.39 |
| 1989 | 1.11 | 0.38 |
| 1988 | 1.09 | 0.38 |
| 1987 | 1.06 | 0.42 |
| 1986 | 0.96 | 0.42 |
| 1985 | 1 | 0.43 |
| 1984 | 1 | 0.41 |
| 1983 | 0.81 | 0.41 |
| 1982 | 0.66 | 0.34 |
| 1981 | 0.66 | 0.33 |
| 1980 | 0.59 | 0.31 |
| 1979 | 0.59 | 0.3 |
| 1978 | 0.51 | 0.27 |
| 1977 | 0.37 | 0.29 |
| 1976 | 0.39 | 0.28 |
| 1975 | 0.35 | 0.26 |
| 1974 | 0.32 | 0.19 |
| 1973 | 0.27 | 0.18 |
| 1972 | 0.26 | 0.17 |
| 1971 | 0.25 | 0.17 |
| 1970 | 0.22 | 0.15 |
| 1969 | 0.22 | 0.15 |
| 1968 | 0.22 | 0.14 |
| 1967 | 0.23 | 0.14 |
| 1966 | 0.25 | 0.14 |
| 1965 | 0.24 | 0.14 |
| 1964 | 0.21 | 0.14 |
| 1963 | 0.2 | 0.14 |
| 1962 | 0.21 | 0.12 |
| 1961 | 0.21 | 0.12 |
| 1960 | 0.19 | – |
| 1959 | 0.18 | – |
| 1958 | 0.18 | 0.14 |
| 1957 | 0.17 | 0.13 |
| 1956 | 0.16 | 0.1 |
| 1955 | 0.15 | 0.1 |
| 1954 | 0.14 | 0.1 |
| 1953 | 0.14 | 0.11 |
| 1952 | 0.13 | 0.11 |
| 1951 | 0.13 | 0.11 |
| 1950 | 0.13 | 0.12 |
| 1949 | 0.13 | 0.1 |
| 1948 | 0.13 | 0.09 |
| 1947 | 0.18 | 0.09 |
| 1946 | 0.21 | 0.09 |
| 1945 | 0.21 | – |
| 1944 | 0.19 | – |
| 1943 | 0.18 | – |
| 1942 | 0.16 | – |
| 1941 | 0.14 | – |
| 1940 | 0.12 | – |
| 1939 | 0.15 | – |
| 1938 | 0.16 | – |
| 1937 | 0.15 | – |
| 1936 | 0.14 | – |
| 1935 | 0.13 | – |
| 1934 | 0.11 | – |
| 1933 | 0.1 | – |
| 1932 | 0.11 | – |
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
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
- 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
- Arms exportsIraq: 20 million TIV in 1989Syria: 30 million TIV in 2010