Iran

Armed forces personnel in Iran

Armed forces personnel in Iran: 610,000 people in 1985 and 650,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020
650,000 people
Since 1985
+40,000 people
Rank, 2020
10 of 170
counting from the highest
World, 2020
27.4 million people
Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Armed forces personnel in IranArmed forces personnel in Iran: 610,000 people in 1985 and 650,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates. The highest was 868,000 people in 1997, the lowest 440,000 people in 1990.
Estimates, IISSEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 868,000 people in 1997, the lowest 440,000 people in 1990.
  • Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1855: 18,000 people.

Every year

people · IISS

YearIranWorld
2020650,00027.4 million
2019650,00027.7 million
2018650,00027.7 million
2017563,00027.4 million
2016563,00027.5 million
2015563,00027.4 million
2014563,00027.3 million
2013563,00027.2 million
2012563,00028.2 million
2011563,00028 million
2010563,00028.1 million
2009563,00027.9 million
2008563,00027.5 million
2007563,00027.3 million
2006585,00027 million
2005585,00028.5 million
2004460,00027.1 million
2003580,00028.2 million
2002560,00028.3 million
2001553,00028.2 million
2000753,00029.4 million
1999785,60029.6 million
1998820,00029.9 million
1997868,00029.9 million
1996863,00030.2 million
1995763,00030.2 million
1994528,00023.2 million
1993528,00023.7 million
1992528,00024.5 million
1991465,00022.7 million
1990440,00023.9 million
1989604,00024.3 million
1985610,00022.2 million
1984335,000–
1983240,000–
1982240,000–
1981260,000–
1980305,000–
1979415,000–
1978350,000–
1977350,000–
1976420,000–
1975385,000–
1974310,000–
1973285,000–
1972265,000–
1971255,000–
1970245,000–
1969225,000–
1968210,000–
1967210,000–
1966210,000–
1965205,000–
1964200,000–
1963200,000–
1962200,000–
1961185,000–
1960208,000–
1959157,000–
1958147,000–
1957138,000–
1956128,000–
1955128,000–
1954132,000–
1953132,000–
1952132,000–
1951123,000–
1950114,000–
1949114,000–
194892,000–
194791,000–
1946101,000–
194590,000–
194486,000–
194380,000–
194265,000–
1941124,000–
1940120,000–
193932,000–
193890,000–
193792,000–
193694,000–
193595,000–
193497,000–
193397,000–
193240,000–
193140,000–
193040,000–
192940,000–
192840,000–
192740,000–
192640,000–
192540,000–
192428,000–
192330,000–
192233,000–
192137,000–
192040,000–
191943,000–
191846,000–
19175,000–
191659,000–
191559,000–
191459,000–
191330,000–
191230,000–
191130,000–
191030,000–
190930,000–
190830,000–
190730,000–
190630,000–
190530,000–
190425,000–
190325,000–
190225,000–
190125,000–
190025,000–
189925,000–
189825,000–
189725,000–
189625,000–
189525,000–
189425,000–
189325,000–
189225,000–
189125,000–
189025,000–
188925,000–
188825,000–
188725,000–
188625,000–
188525,000–
188430,000–
188330,000–
188230,000–
188130,000–
188030,000–
187930,000–
187830,000–
187730,000–
187630,000–
187520,000–
187420,000–
187320,000–
187220,000–
187120,000–
187020,000–
186920,000–
186820,000–
186720,000–
186620,000–
186519,000–
186419,000–
186319,000–
186219,000–
186119,000–
186019,000–
185918,000–
185818,000–
185718,000–
185618,000–
185518,000–
  • 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War

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

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