Ethiopia vs Iran: Military personnel
Ethiopia
503,000 people
in 2022
Iran
610,000 people
in 2022
Ethiopia rank
10th
Iran rank
8th
Military personnel over time
- Ethiopia
- Iran
How they compare
Iran currently reports 610,000 people against 503,000 people in Ethiopia, a difference of 107,000 people.
That makes Iran's figure about 1.2 times Ethiopia's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 116 shared years of data; in 1898 it was Ethiopia ahead.
Ethiopia ranks 10th and Iran ranks 8th of 194 countries.
Across the 14 decades both report, Ethiopia averaged higher in 5 and Iran in 9.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ethiopia | Iran | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 150,000 people | 25,000 people | 125,000 people | Ethiopia |
| 1900s | 150,000 people | 27,500 people | 122,500 people | Ethiopia |
| 1910s | 195,000 people | 39,100 people | 155,900 people | Ethiopia |
| 1920s | 100,000 people | 36,800 people | 63,200 people | Ethiopia |
| 1930s | 157,143 people | 71,857 people | 85,286 people | Ethiopia |
| 1940s | 10,000 people | 99,500 people | 89,500 people | Iran |
| 1950s | 24,900 people | 133,100 people | 108,200 people | Iran |
| 1960s | 43,600 people | 205,300 people | 161,700 people | Iran |
| 1970s | 105,800 people | 328,000 people | 222,200 people | Iran |
| 1980s | 250,000 people | 367,800 people | 117,800 people | Iran |
| 1990s | 155,000 people | 505,400 people | 350,400 people | Iran |
| 2000s | 198,800 people | 514,400 people | 315,600 people | Iran |
| 2010s | 138,000 people | 523,000 people | 385,000 people | Iran |
| 2020s | 259,667 people | 610,000 people | 350,333 people | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military personnel, Ethiopia or Iran?
- Iran, at 610,000 people against 503,000 people in Ethiopia as of 2022.
- What is the difference in military personnel between Ethiopia and Iran?
- 107,000 people, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and Iran?
- 116 years are reported by both, from 1898 to 2022.
- How do Ethiopia and Iran rank globally for military personnel?
- Ethiopia ranks 10th and Iran ranks 8th of 194 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Troops under the command of the national government, intended for use against foreign adversaries, and held ready for combat as of January 1 of the given year.