Iran vs Pakistan: Military personnel
Iran
610,000 people
in 2022
Pakistan
652,000 people
in 2022
Iran rank
8th
Pakistan rank
7th
Military personnel over time
- Iran
- Pakistan
How they compare
Pakistan currently reports 652,000 people against 610,000 people in Iran, a difference of 42,000 people.
That makes Pakistan's figure about 1.1 times Iran's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 76 shared years of data; in 1947 it was Pakistan ahead.
Iran ranks 8th and Pakistan ranks 7th of 194 countries.
Pakistan has averaged higher in every one of the 9 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | Pakistan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 99,000 people | 265,333 people | 166,333 people | Pakistan |
| 1950s | 133,100 people | 217,700 people | 84,600 people | Pakistan |
| 1960s | 205,300 people | 293,500 people | 88,200 people | Pakistan |
| 1970s | 328,000 people | 476,100 people | 148,100 people | Pakistan |
| 1980s | 367,800 people | 502,100 people | 134,300 people | Pakistan |
| 1990s | 505,400 people | 580,500 people | 75,100 people | Pakistan |
| 2000s | 514,400 people | 618,500 people | 104,100 people | Pakistan |
| 2010s | 523,000 people | 641,200 people | 118,200 people | Pakistan |
| 2020s | 610,000 people | 652,667 people | 42,667 people | Pakistan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military personnel, Iran or Pakistan?
- Pakistan, at 652,000 people against 610,000 people in Iran as of 2022.
- What is the difference in military personnel between Iran and Pakistan?
- 42,000 people, with Pakistan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Pakistan?
- 76 years are reported by both, from 1947 to 2022.
- How do Iran and Pakistan rank globally for military personnel?
- Iran ranks 8th and Pakistan ranks 7th 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.