Iraq
Armed forces, share of workers in Iraq
Armed forces, share of workers in Iraq: 33.98% of the labour force in 1990 and 4.4% of the labour force in 2020, by IISS estimates.
- Latest, 2020
- 4.4% of the labour force
- Since 1990
- −29.58 percentage points
- Rank, 2020
- 6 of 168
- counting from the highest
- World, 2020
- 0.79% of the labour force
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- The highest was 33.98% of the labour force in 1990, the lowest 2.03% of the labour force in 2013.
Every year
% of the labour force · IISS
| Year | Iraq | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4.4 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 3.34 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 3.34 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 2.1 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 2.1 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 2.17 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 2.24 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 2.03 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 9.85 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 10.29 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 10.66 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 9.05 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 8.23 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 5.28 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 7.18 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 3.33 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 2.71 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 6.76 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 6.98 | 1 |
| 2001 | 7.8 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 8.27 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 8.56 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 8.85 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 8.46 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 8.53 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 8.31 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 8.99 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 9.05 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 9.52 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 11.46 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 33.98 | 1.11 |
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 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
- Armed forces personnel459,000 people in 2020
- National power0.54% of world capability in 2022
- Arms imports55 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exports20 million TIV in 1989