Iran vs South Korea: Military personnel

Iran
610,000
in 2022
South Korea
555,000
in 2022
Iran rank
8th
South Korea rank
9th

Military personnel over time

  • Iran
  • South Korea
0200.0k400.0k600.0k800.0k185519382022

How they compare

Iran currently reports 610,000 against 555,000 in South Korea, a difference of 55,000.

That makes Iran's figure about 1.1 times South Korea's.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 74 shared years of data; in 1949 it was Iran ahead.

Iran ranks 8th and South Korea ranks 9th of 194 countries.

Across the 9 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 2 and South Korea in 7.

Head to head by decade

Decade Iran South Korea Difference Ahead
1940s 114,000 69,000 45,000 Iran
1950s 133,100 510,400 377,300 South Korea
1960s 205,300 604,500 399,200 South Korea
1970s 328,000 626,400 298,400 South Korea
1980s 367,800 609,200 241,400 South Korea
1990s 505,400 707,500 202,100 South Korea
2000s 514,400 686,200 171,800 South Korea
2010s 523,000 647,000 124,000 South Korea
2020s 610,000 569,667 40,333 Iran

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher military personnel, Iran or South Korea?
Iran, at 610,000 against 555,000 in South Korea as of 2022.
What is the difference in military personnel between Iran and South Korea?
55,000, with Iran ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and South Korea?
74 years are reported by both, from 1949 to 2022.
How do Iran and South Korea rank globally for military personnel?
Iran ranks 8th and South Korea ranks 9th of 194 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Our World in Data, published as Military personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Iran vs South Korea: Military personnel. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 14 November 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/military-personnel/iran-islamic-rep/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Military personnel
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
194 places, 15,765 data points, 1816–2022
Last refreshed