Iran vs Turkey: Armed forces personnel
Iran
650,000
in 2020
Turkey
512,000
in 2020
Iran rank
10th
Turkey rank
13th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Iran
- Turkey
How they compare
Iran currently reports 650,000 against 512,000 in Turkey, a difference of 138,000.
That makes Iran's figure about 1.3 times Turkey's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Turkey ahead.
Iran ranks 10th and Turkey ranks 13th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 2 and Turkey in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | Turkey | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 607,000 | 705,000 | 98,000 | Turkey |
| 1990s | 658,860 | 765,480 | 106,620 | Turkey |
| 2000s | 576,500 | 650,520 | 74,020 | Turkey |
| 2010s | 580,400 | 562,420 | 17,980 | Iran |
| 2020s | 650,000 | 512,000 | 138,000 | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Iran or Turkey?
- Iran, at 650,000 against 512,000 in Turkey as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Iran and Turkey?
- 138,000, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Turkey?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Iran and Turkey rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Iran ranks 10th and Turkey ranks 13th 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.