Egypt vs Iran: Armed forces personnel
Egypt
836,000
in 2020
Iran
650,000
in 2020
Egypt rank
7th
Iran rank
10th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Egypt
- Iran
How they compare
Egypt currently reports 836,000 against 650,000 in Iran, a difference of 186,000.
That makes Egypt's figure about 1.3 times Iran's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Iran ahead.
Egypt ranks 7th and Iran ranks 10th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Egypt averaged higher in 3 and Iran in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Egypt | Iran | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 447,500 | 607,000 | 159,500 | Iran |
| 1990s | 546,800 | 658,860 | 112,060 | Iran |
| 2000s | 806,000 | 576,500 | 229,500 | Egypt |
| 2010s | 835,600 | 580,400 | 255,200 | Egypt |
| 2020s | 836,000 | 650,000 | 186,000 | Egypt |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Egypt or Iran?
- Egypt, at 836,000 against 650,000 in Iran as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Egypt and Iran?
- 186,000, with Egypt ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Egypt and Iran?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Egypt and Iran rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Egypt ranks 7th and Iran ranks 10th 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.