Armed forces personnel in Iran
Iran: Armed forces personnel was 650,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in Iran, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Iran recorded 650,000 for armed forces personnel in 2020.
The figure is up 15.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Iran peaked at 868,000 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 440,000, in 1990.
Iran ranks 10th of 173 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 607,000 | 604,000 | 610,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 658,860 | 440,000 | 868,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 576,500 | 460,000 | 753,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 580,400 | 563,000 | 650,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 650,000 | 650,000 | 650,000 | 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 in Iran?
- Armed forces personnel in Iran was 650,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 868,000 in 1997.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 440,000 in 1990.
- How does Iran rank for armed forces personnel?
- Iran ranks 10th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.5%. 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) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.