Iraq vs South Korea: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population
Iraq
1.1%
in 2020
South Korea
1.1%
in 2020
Iraq rank
19th
South Korea rank
18th
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population over time
- Iraq
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 1.1% against 1.1% in Iraq, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Iraq ahead.
Iraq ranks 19th and South Korea ranks 18th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Iraq averaged higher in 3 and South Korea in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iraq | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.1% | 1.5% | 4.6% | Iraq |
| 1990s | 2.7% | 1.5% | 1.2% | Iraq |
| 2000s | 1.6% | 1.4% | 0.1% | Iraq |
| 2010s | 1.2% | 1.3% | 0.1% | South Korea |
| 2020s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.0% | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel as a share of total population, Iraq or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 1.1% against 1.1% in Iraq as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel as a share of total population between Iraq and South Korea?
- 0.0%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iraq and South Korea?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Iraq and South Korea rank globally for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Iraq ranks 19th and South Korea ranks 18th of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.