Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Iran
Iran: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.7% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Iran, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Iran is 0.7%, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and up 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Iran peaked at 1.4% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 2004.
That places Iran 34th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 1.1% | 0.8% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More reference data data for Iran
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.0713 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.08 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.2419 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 0 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.27 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.14 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 4,030 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Iran?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Iran was 0.7% in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 1.4% in 1996.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 2004.
- How does Iran rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Iran ranks 34th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.