Iraq vs Yemen: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 459,000 people in Iraq and 40,000 people in Yemen, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Iraq, by 419,000 people, or 11 times that in Yemen.
IraqYemen
Watch it change on the mapLatest figures
people · IISS
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iraq | 459,000 2020 | 802,400 | 15 of 170 |
| Yemen | 40,000 2020 | 137,900 | 81 of 170 |
| World | 27.4 million 2020 | 28.1 million |
What the numbers say
- Iraq has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, Iraq ranked 15 and Yemen ranked 81 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Iraq | Yemen | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 459,000 | 40,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 341,000 | 40,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 336,000 | 20,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 209,000 | 40,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 209,000 | 20,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 209,000 | 20,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 209,000 | 20,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 177,600 | 137,900 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 802,400 | 137,900 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 802,400 | 137,900 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 802,400 | 137,900 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 659,400 | 137,900 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 577,000 | 138,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 362,000 | 138,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 495,000 | 138,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 227,000 | 138,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 179,000 | 136,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 432,000 | 136,700 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 432,000 | 136,500 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 467,000 | 124,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 479,000 | 136,300 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 479,000 | 136,300 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 479,000 | 136,300 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 442,900 | 146,300 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 432,500 | 112,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 407,300 | 69,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 425,000 | 69,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 407,000 | 64,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 407,000 | 64,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 475,000 | 127,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 1.39 million | 127,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 1 million | 62,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 1 million | 64,100 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 788,000 | – | – |
| 1983 | 434,000 | – | – |
| 1982 | 404,000 | – | – |
| 1981 | 392,000 | – | – |
| 1980 | 430,000 | – | – |
| 1979 | 444,000 | – | – |
| 1978 | 362,000 | – | – |
| 1977 | 140,000 | – | – |
| 1976 | 190,000 | – | – |
| 1975 | 155,000 | – | – |
| 1974 | 110,000 | – | – |
| 1973 | 105,000 | – | – |
| 1972 | 105,000 | – | – |
| 1971 | 105,000 | – | – |
| 1970 | 95,000 | – | – |
| 1969 | 90,000 | – | – |
| 1968 | 90,000 | – | – |
| 1967 | 90,000 | – | – |
| 1966 | 90,000 | – | – |
| 1965 | 90,000 | – | – |
| 1964 | 80,000 | – | – |
| 1963 | 80,000 | – | – |
| 1962 | 91,000 | – | – |
| 1961 | 90,000 | – | – |
| 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.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time