Iran vs South Korea: Armed forces personnel
Iran
650,000
in 2020
South Korea
569,000
in 2020
Iran rank
10th
South Korea rank
11th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Iran
- South Korea
How they compare
Iran currently reports 650,000 against 569,000 in South Korea, a difference of 81,000.
That makes Iran's figure about 1.1 times South Korea's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Iran ahead.
Iran ranks 10th and South Korea ranks 11th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 1 and South Korea in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 607,000 | 622,500 | 15,500 | South Korea |
| 1990s | 658,860 | 698,850 | 39,990 | South Korea |
| 2000s | 576,500 | 688,050 | 111,550 | South Korea |
| 2010s | 580,400 | 639,400 | 59,000 | South Korea |
| 2020s | 650,000 | 569,000 | 81,000 | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Iran or South Korea?
- Iran, at 650,000 against 569,000 in South Korea as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Iran and South Korea?
- 81,000, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and South Korea?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Iran and South Korea rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Iran ranks 10th and South Korea ranks 11th of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.