Iraq vs Venezuela: Armed forces personnel
Iraq
459,000
in 2020
Venezuela
343,000
in 2020
Iraq rank
15th
Venezuela rank
18th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Iraq
- Venezuela
How they compare
Iraq currently reports 459,000 against 343,000 in Venezuela, a difference of 116,000.
That makes Iraq's figure about 1.3 times Venezuela's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 32 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Iraq ahead.
Iraq ranks 15th and Venezuela ranks 18th of 173 countries.
Iraq has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iraq | Venezuela | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.00 million | 62,000 | 938,000 | Iraq |
| 1990s | 534,470 | 76,900 | 457,570 | Iraq |
| 2000s | 423,822 | 100,433 | 323,388 | Iraq |
| 2010s | 409,780 | 229,200 | 180,580 | Iraq |
| 2020s | 459,000 | 343,000 | 116,000 | Iraq |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Iraq or Venezuela?
- Iraq, at 459,000 against 343,000 in Venezuela as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Iraq and Venezuela?
- 116,000, with Iraq ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iraq and Venezuela?
- 32 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Iraq and Venezuela rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Iraq ranks 15th and Venezuela ranks 18th 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.