Iraq's armed forces personnel, total was 459,000 in 2020, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 42.8% from 802,400 in 2010 (5.43% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 459,000 | 2020 |
| Five years earlier | 209,000 | 2015 |
| Ten years earlier | 802,400 | 2010 |
| Highest | 1.39 million | 1990 |
| Lowest | 177,600 | 2013 |
| Average since 2011 | 375,440 | 2011–2020 |
| First recorded | 1 million |
What the numbers say
In 2020, Iraq's armed forces personnel, total rose 34.6% on 2019 (from 341,000 to 459,000).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2019), the average change was +4.1% and a typical year strayed about 36.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 118.1% in 2006 and the biggest yearly fall was 77.9% in 2013. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2011 to 2020 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 18% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2020, Iraq had the 15th highest value of the 170 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Iraq | 459,000 | 2020 |
| World | 27.41 million | 2020 |
| Upper middle income | 9.92 million | 2020 |
Closest to Iraq in the 2020 ranking
What this measures
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.
Limitations: Data excludes personnel not on active duty, therefore it underestimates the share of the labor force working for the defense establishment. The cooperation of governments of all countries listed in “The Military Balance” has been sought by IISS and, in many cases, received. However, some data in “The Military Balance” is estimated.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.
All 33 values
| Year | Armed forces personnel, total |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 459,000 |
| 2019 | 341,000 |
| 2018 | 336,000 |
| 2017 | 209,000 |
| 2016 | 209,000 |
| 2015 | 209,000 |
| 2014 | 209,000 |
| 2013 | 177,600 |
| 2012 | 802,400 |
| 2011 | 802,400 |
| 2010 |
Armed forces personnel, total in nearby economies
- Afghanistan — 165,000 (2020)
- Algeria — 326,000 (2020)
- Bahrain — 19,000 (2020)
- Djibouti — 13,000 (2020)
- Egypt, Arab Rep. — 836,000 (2020)
- Iran, Islamic Rep. — 650,000 (2020)
- Israel — 178,000 (2020)
- Jordan — 116,000 (2020)
- Kuwait — 25,000 (2020)
- Lebanon — 80,000 (2020)
- Libya — 0 (2020)
More public sector data for Iraq
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 55 million (2025)
- Military expenditure (current USD) — 6.45 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (current LCU) — 8.45 trillion (2025)
- Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 2.45% (2025)
- Battle-related deaths (number of people) — 396 (2024)
- Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 4.4% (2020)
- Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 5.53% (2025)
- Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 1 data use score (scale 0-100) — 60 (2024)
- Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 3 data products score (scale 0-100) — 66.53 (2024)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Iraq's armed forces personnel, total?
- 459,000 in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1985?
- It is down 54.1% from 1 million in 1985 (2.2% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 1.39 million in 1990 and the lowest 177,600 in 2013.
- How does Iraq rank?
- 15th highest of 170 economies with data for 2020.
- Is the latest change in armed forces personnel, total unusual for Iraq?
- In 2020, Iraq's armed forces personnel, total rose 34.6% on 2019 (from 341,000 to 459,000). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2019), the average change was +4.1% and a typical year strayed about 36.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
- Where does this data come from?
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator MS.MIL.TOTL.P1, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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