Iraq
Armed forces personnel in Iraq
Armed forces personnel in Iraq: 1 million people in 1985 and 459,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.
- Latest, 2020
- 459,000 people
- Since 1985
- −541,000 people
- Rank, 2020
- 15 of 170
- counting from the highest
- World, 2020
- 27.4 million people
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- The highest was 1.39 million people in 1990, the lowest 177,600 people in 2013.
- Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1932: 12,000 people.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Iraq | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 459,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 341,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 336,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 209,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 209,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 209,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 209,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 177,600 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 802,400 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 802,400 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 802,400 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 659,400 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 577,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 362,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 495,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 227,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 179,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 432,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 432,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 467,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 479,000 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 479,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 479,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 442,900 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 432,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 407,300 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 425,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 407,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 407,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 475,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 1.39 million | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 1 million | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 1 million | 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
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
Iraq in numbers
Every measure for Iraq on one page
Health
People
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending2.45% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$6.4B in 2025
- Military spending per person$139 in 2025
- Military share of state spending5.5% of government spending in 2025
- National power0.54% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers4.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports55 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exports20 million TIV in 1989