Iraq vs Yemen
Iraq vs Yemen: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 4.4% of the labour force in Iraq and 0.58% of the labour force in Yemen, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Iraq, by 3.82 percentage points, or 7.57 times that in Yemen.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Iraq has been higher since 2014, when it overtook Yemen.
- In 2020, Iraq ranked 6 and Yemen ranked 102 of 168 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 0.79% of the labour force in 2020.
Every year
% of the labour force · IISS
| Year | Iraq | Yemen | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4.4 | 0.58 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 3.34 | 0.59 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 3.34 | 0.31 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 2.1 | 0.64 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 2.1 | 0.33 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 2.17 | 0.34 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 2.24 | 0.31 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 2.03 | 2.17 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 9.85 | 2.21 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 10.29 | 2.26 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 10.66 | 2.3 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 9.05 | 2.37 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 8.23 | 2.45 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 5.28 | 2.54 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 7.18 | 2.62 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 3.33 | 2.71 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 2.71 | 2.74 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 6.76 | 2.82 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 6.98 | 2.89 | 1 |
| 2001 | 7.8 | 2.68 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 8.27 | 3.02 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 8.56 | 3.08 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 8.85 | 3.24 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 8.46 | 3.64 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 8.53 | 2.92 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 8.31 | 1.9 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 8.99 | 1.98 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 9.05 | 1.91 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 9.52 | 1.98 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 11.46 | 4.08 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 33.98 | 4.23 | 1.11 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel as a share of everyone working or looking for work, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 168 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 Yemen
Health
- Life expectancyIraq: 72.3 years in 2023Yemen: 69.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIraq: 2.2 per 100 live births in 2024Yemen: 3.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIraq: 19 per 1,000 live births in 2023Yemen: 32.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIraq: 3.89% in 2017Yemen: 4.01% in 2017
- Suicide rateIraq: 4.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Yemen: 6 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIraq: 45.1 million people in 2023Yemen: 39.4 million people in 2023
- Population growthIraq: 2.15% a year in 2023Yemen: 3.03% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIraq: 3.25 births per woman in 2023Yemen: 4.59 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIraq: 69.9% in 2025Yemen: 37% in 2025
- Median ageIraq: 20.4 years in 2023Yemen: 18.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIraq: 3.4% in 2023Yemen: 2.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateIraq: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Yemen: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIraq: 2.45% of GDP in 2025Yemen: 3.97% of GDP in 2014
- Military spending in US dollarsIraq: $6.4B in 2025Yemen: $12.3B in 2014
- Military spending per personIraq: $139 in 2025Yemen: $58 in 2014
- Military share of state spendingIraq: 5.5% of government spending in 2025Yemen: 14.3% of government spending in 2014
- Armed forces personnelIraq: 459,000 people in 2020Yemen: 40,000 people in 2020
- National powerIraq: 0.54% of world capability in 2022Yemen: 0.24% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsIraq: 55 million TIV in 2025Yemen: 1 million TIV in 2022
- Arms exportsIraq: 20 million TIV in 1989Yemen: 51 million TIV in 1986