Military spending per armed forces personnel in Iran

Iran: Military spending per armed forces personnel was 10,059 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
10,059
Change on year
up 4.0%
World rank
122nd
of 160 countries
All-time high
15,486
in 2006
All-time low
3,282
in 1996
Years of data
33
1985–2020

Military spending per armed forces personnel in Iran, 1985–2020

2.5k5.0k7.5k10.0k12.5k15.0k1985200220201985: 8.5k1989: 4.3k1990: 5.3k1991: 4.5k1992: 3.4k1993: 4.0k1994: 5.0k1995: 3.4k1996: 3.3k1997: 3.6k1998: 3.9k1999: 4.1k2000: 4.7k2001: 7.1k2002: 7.5k2003: 8.5k2004: 13.8k2005: 12.9k2006: 15.5k2007: 14.8k2008: 14.2k2009: 14.9k2010: 15.2k2011: 13.1k2012: 13.6k2013: 11.0k2014: 10.9k2015: 11.6k2016: 13.3k2017: 15.0k2018: 11.6k2019: 9.7k2020: 10.1k

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2020, military spending per armed forces personnel in Iran stood at 10,059.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.0% on the previous year and down 33.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military spending per armed forces personnel in Iran peaked at 15,486 in 2006 and was at its lowest, 3,282, in 1996.

Iran ranks 122nd of 160 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.

Military spending per armed forces personnel in Iran, year by year

Annual values for Military spending per armed forces personnel in Iran, 1985 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1985 8,509 —
1989 4,317 -49.3%
1990 5,262 +21.9%
1991 4,489 -14.7%
1992 3,431 -23.6%
1993 4,018 +17.1%
1994 4,959 +23.4%
1995 3,366 -32.1%
1996 3,282 -2.5%
1997 3,640 +10.9%
1998 3,856 +5.9%
1999 4,070 +5.6%
2000 4,675 +14.9%
2001 7,087 +51.6%
2002 7,533 +6.3%
2003 8,489 +12.7%
2004 13,832 +62.9%
2005 12,933 -6.5%
2006 15,486 +19.7%
2007 14,797 -4.5%
2008 14,236 -3.8%
2009 14,895 +4.6%
2010 15,156 +1.8%
2011 13,081 -13.7%
2012 13,618 +4.1%
2013 10,967 -19.5%
2014 10,935 -0.3%
2015 11,627 +6.3%
2016 13,348 +14.8%
2017 15,018 +12.5%
2018 11,559 -23.0%
2019 9,671 -16.3%
2020 10,059 +4.0%

Iran compared with similar countries

  • Iran's 10,059 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 19,504, 52% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
  • Iran's 10,059 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 42,323, 24% of the median. (20 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 6,413 4,317 8,509 2
1990s 4,037 3,282 5,262 10
2000s 11,396 4,675 15,486 10
2010s 12,498 9,671 15,156 10
2020s 10,059 10,059 10,059 1

Countries ranked near Iran

  1. 119 Iraq 11,555 compare
  2. 120 Moldova 11,273 compare
  3. 121 Mauritania 10,935 compare
  4. 123 Dominican Republic 10,026 compare
  5. 124 Turkmenistan 9,904 compare
  6. 125 Guatemala 9,659 compare

See the full ranking of 160 places →

More reference data data for Iran

All data for Iran →

Frequently asked questions

What is military spending per armed forces personnel in Iran?
Military spending per armed forces personnel in Iran was 10,059 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Iran?
The highest recorded value was 15,486 in 2006.
What is the lowest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Iran?
The lowest recorded value was 3,282 in 1996.
How does Iran rank for military spending per armed forces personnel?
Iran ranks 122nd out of 160 countries with data for 2020.
Is military spending per armed forces personnel rising or falling in Iran?
Over the last ten years it is down 33.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iran data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending per armed forces personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Military spending per armed forces personnel in Iran. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 14 November 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/military-spending-per-armed-forces-personnel/iran-islamic-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Military spending per armed forces personnel
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
160 places, 4,610 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed