Syria vs Yemen
Syria vs Yemen: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 269,000 people in Syria and 40,000 people in Yemen, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Syria, by 229,000 people, or 6.73 times that in Yemen.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Syria has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, Syria ranked 26 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 | Syria | Yemen | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 269,000 | 40,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 269,000 | 40,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 257,500 | 20,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 239,000 | 40,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 307,500 | 20,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 277,500 | 20,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 280,500 | 20,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 178,000 | 137,900 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 178,000 | 137,900 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 178,000 | 137,900 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 403,000 | 137,900 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 403,000 | 137,900 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 401,000 | 138,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 401,000 | 138,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 401,000 | 138,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 416,000 | 138,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 415,000 | 136,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 427,000 | 136,700 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 427,000 | 136,500 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 429,000 | 124,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 424,800 | 136,300 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 424,000 | 136,300 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 428,000 | 136,300 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 428,000 | 146,300 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 529,000 | 112,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 531,000 | 69,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 320,000 | 69,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 408,000 | 64,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 408,000 | 64,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 408,000 | 127,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 408,000 | 127,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 400,000 | 62,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 402,500 | 64,100 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 402,000 | – | – |
| 1983 | 400,000 | – | – |
| 1982 | 300,000 | – | – |
| 1981 | 270,000 | – | – |
| 1980 | 250,000 | – | – |
| 1979 | 220,000 | – | – |
| 1978 | 220,000 | – | – |
| 1977 | 250,000 | – | – |
| 1976 | 240,000 | – | – |
| 1975 | 230,000 | – | – |
| 1974 | 130,000 | – | – |
| 1973 | 115,000 | – | – |
| 1972 | 115,000 | – | – |
| 1971 | 110,000 | – | – |
| 1970 | 75,000 | – | – |
| 1969 | 75,000 | – | – |
| 1968 | 65,000 | – | – |
| 1967 | 80,000 | – | – |
| 1966 | 80,000 | – | – |
| 1965 | 70,000 | – | – |
| 1964 | 80,000 | – | – |
| 1963 | 75,000 | – | – |
| 1962 | 54,000 | – | – |
| 1961 | 52,000 | – | – |
| 1958 | 62,000 | – | – |
| 1957 | 60,000 | – | – |
| 1956 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1955 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1954 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1953 | 35,000 | – | – |
| 1952 | 35,000 | – | – |
| 1951 | 32,000 | – | – |
| 1950 | 32,000 | – | – |
| 1949 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1948 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1947 | 10,000 | – | – |
| 1946 | 10,000 | – | – |
- 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
Syria vs Yemen
Health
- Life expectancySyria: 72.1 years in 2023Yemen: 69.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySyria: 1.8 per 100 live births in 2024Yemen: 3.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySyria: 16.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Yemen: 32.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSyria: 3.58% in 2017Yemen: 4.01% in 2017
- Suicide rateSyria: 3.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Yemen: 6 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSyria: 23.6 million people in 2023Yemen: 39.4 million people in 2023
- Population growthSyria: 4.92% a year in 2023Yemen: 3.03% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSyria: 2.71 births per woman in 2023Yemen: 4.59 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSyria: 72.1% in 2025Yemen: 37% in 2025
- Median ageSyria: 22.3 years in 2023Yemen: 18.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSyria: 4.7% in 2023Yemen: 2.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateSyria: 32.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Yemen: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSyria: 4.06% of GDP in 2010Yemen: 3.97% of GDP in 2014
- Military spending per personSyria: $110 in 2011Yemen: $58 in 2014
- Military share of state spendingSyria: 13.6% of government spending in 2010Yemen: 14.3% of government spending in 2014
- National powerSyria: 0.29% of world capability in 2022Yemen: 0.24% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSyria: 5.44% of the labour force in 2020Yemen: 0.58% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSyria: 2 million TIV in 2025Yemen: 1 million TIV in 2022
- Arms exportsSyria: 30 million TIV in 2010Yemen: 51 million TIV in 1986