Iran vs Iraq: Military spending
Iran
7.45 billion constant 2024 US$
in 2025
Iraq
6.40 billion constant 2024 US$
in 2025
Iran rank
40th
Iraq rank
43rd
Military spending over time
- Iran
- Iraq
How they compare
Iran currently reports 7.45 billion constant 2024 US$ against 6.40 billion constant 2024 US$ in Iraq, a difference of 1.05 billion constant 2024 US$.
That makes Iran's figure about 1.2 times Iraq's.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 41 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Iran ahead.
Iran ranks 40th and Iraq ranks 43rd of 162 countries.
Iran has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | Iraq | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 708.51 million constant 2024 US$ | 504.84 million constant 2024 US$ | 203.66 million constant 2024 US$ | Iran |
| 1970s | 5.42 billion constant 2024 US$ | 1.52 billion constant 2024 US$ | 3.90 billion constant 2024 US$ | Iran |
| 2000s | 7.95 billion constant 2024 US$ | 2.83 billion constant 2024 US$ | 5.12 billion constant 2024 US$ | Iran |
| 2010s | 7.22 billion constant 2024 US$ | 6.11 billion constant 2024 US$ | 1.11 billion constant 2024 US$ | Iran |
| 2020s | 7.84 billion constant 2024 US$ | 5.51 billion constant 2024 US$ | 2.33 billion constant 2024 US$ | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending, Iran or Iraq?
- Iran, at 7.45 billion constant 2024 US$ against 6.40 billion constant 2024 US$ in Iraq as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending between Iran and Iraq?
- 1.05 billion constant 2024 US$, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Iraq?
- 41 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Iran and Iraq rank globally for military spending?
- Iran ranks 40th and Iraq ranks 43rd of 162 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military spending. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.