Iraq vs Vietnam: Armed forces personnel
Iraq
459,000
in 2020
Vietnam
522,000
in 2020
Iraq rank
15th
Vietnam rank
12th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Iraq
- Vietnam
How they compare
Vietnam currently reports 522,000 against 459,000 in Iraq, a difference of 63,000.
That makes Vietnam's figure about 1.1 times Iraq's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 32 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Vietnam ahead.
Iraq ranks 15th and Vietnam ranks 12th of 173 countries.
Vietnam has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iraq | Vietnam | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.00 million | 1.14 million | 138,500 | Vietnam |
| 1990s | 534,470 | 735,300 | 200,830 | Vietnam |
| 2000s | 458,933 | 507,889 | 48,956 | Vietnam |
| 2010s | 409,780 | 522,000 | 112,220 | Vietnam |
| 2020s | 459,000 | 522,000 | 63,000 | Vietnam |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Iraq or Vietnam?
- Vietnam, at 522,000 against 459,000 in Iraq as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Iraq and Vietnam?
- 63,000, with Vietnam ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iraq and Vietnam?
- 32 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Iraq and Vietnam rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Iraq ranks 15th and Vietnam ranks 12th 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.