Armed forces personnel in Iraq
Iraq: Armed forces personnel was 459,000 in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Armed forces personnel in Iraq, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel in Iraq stood at 459,000.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 34.6% on the previous year and down 42.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Iraq peaked at 1.39 million in 1990 and was at its lowest, 177,600, in 2013.
Iraq ranks 15th of 173 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Armed forces personnel in Iraq, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1.00 million | — |
| 1989 | 1.00 million | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 1.39 million | +39.0% |
| 1991 | 475,000 | -65.8% |
| 1992 | 407,000 | -14.3% |
| 1993 | 407,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 425,000 | +4.4% |
| 1995 | 407,300 | -4.2% |
| 1996 | 432,500 | +6.2% |
| 1997 | 442,900 | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 479,000 | +8.2% |
| 1999 | 479,000 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 479,000 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 467,000 | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 432,000 | -7.5% |
| 2003 | 432,000 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 179,000 | -58.6% |
| 2005 | 227,000 | +26.8% |
| 2006 | 495,000 | +118.1% |
| 2007 | 362,000 | -26.9% |
| 2008 | 577,000 | +59.4% |
| 2009 | 659,395 | +14.3% |
| 2010 | 802,400 | +21.7% |
| 2011 | 802,400 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 802,400 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 177,600 | -77.9% |
| 2014 | 209,000 | +17.7% |
| 2015 | 209,000 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 209,000 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 209,000 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 336,000 | +60.8% |
| 2019 | 341,000 | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 459,000 | +34.6% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 459,000 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 64,000, 7.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 459,000 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 80,000, 5.7× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel in Iraq changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | +118.1% | 227,000 | 495,000 |
| 2013 | -77.9% | 802,400 | 177,600 |
| 1991 | -65.8% | 1.39 million | 475,000 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.00 million | 1.00 million | 1.00 million | 2 |
| 1990s | 534,470 | 407,000 | 1.39 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 430,940 | 179,000 | 659,395 | 10 |
| 2010s | 409,780 | 177,600 | 802,400 | 10 |
| 2020s | 459,000 | 459,000 | 459,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More reference data data for Iraq
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2116 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3911 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 7.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.7096 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.235 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 13.21 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 30.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.13 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Iraq?
- Armed forces personnel in Iraq was 459,000 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 Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 1.39 million in 1990.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 177,600 in 2013.
- How does Iraq rank for armed forces personnel?
- Iraq ranks 15th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is down 42.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iraq 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.