Colombia vs Iraq: Armed forces personnel
Colombia
428,000
in 2020
Iraq
459,000
in 2020
Colombia rank
17th
Iraq rank
15th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Colombia
- Iraq
How they compare
Iraq currently reports 459,000 against 428,000 in Colombia, a difference of 31,000.
That makes Iraq's figure about 1.1 times Colombia's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Iraq ahead.
Colombia ranks 17th and Iraq ranks 15th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Colombia averaged higher in 1 and Iraq in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Colombia | Iraq | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 78,600 | 1.00 million | 921,400 | Iraq |
| 1990s | 180,830 | 534,470 | 353,640 | Iraq |
| 2000s | 341,063 | 430,940 | 89,877 | Iraq |
| 2010s | 463,918 | 409,780 | 54,138 | Colombia |
| 2020s | 428,000 | 459,000 | 31,000 | Iraq |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Colombia or Iraq?
- Iraq, at 459,000 against 428,000 in Colombia as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Colombia and Iraq?
- 31,000, with Iraq ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Colombia and Iraq?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Colombia and Iraq rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Colombia ranks 17th and Iraq ranks 15th of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel. 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.