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Armed forces personnel since 1816 — all countries

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Iran

Armed forces personnel since 1816 in Iran in 2022 — 610,000 people. Ranked 8 in the world out of 189. Since 1855, the indicator has risen by 3,288.9%.

2022 610,000 people +0% vs 2021
World rank 8of 189
Period maximum 654,000 people1988
Period minimum 5,000 people1917

Trend over time

1855–2022 · people

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Iran, 1855–20220200,000400,000600,000800,000185518721889190619231940195719741991200820221855: 18,000 people1858: 18,000 people1861: 19,000 people1864: 19,000 people1867: 20,000 people1870: 20,000 people1873: 20,000 people1876: 30,000 people1879: 30,000 people1882: 30,000 people1885: 25,000 people1888: 25,000 people1891: 25,000 people1894: 25,000 people1897: 25,000 people1900: 25,000 people1903: 25,000 people1906: 30,000 people1909: 30,000 people1912: 30,000 people1915: 59,000 people1918: 46,000 people1921: 37,000 people1924: 28,000 people1927: 40,000 people1930: 40,000 people1933: 97,000 people1936: 94,000 people1939: 32,000 people1942: 65,000 people1945: 90,000 people1948: 92,000 people1951: 123,000 people1954: 132,000 people1957: 138,000 people1960: 208,000 people1963: 200,000 people1966: 210,000 people1969: 225,000 people1972: 265,000 people1975: 385,000 people1978: 350,000 people1981: 260,000 people1984: 335,000 people1987: 350,000 people1990: 440,000 people1993: 528,000 people1996: 540,000 people1999: 460,000 people2002: 520,000 people2005: 420,000 people2008: 545,000 people2011: 523,000 people2014: 523,000 people2017: 523,000 people2020: 610,000 people2022: 610,000 people
Change over the period: +592,000 (+3,288.89%) Average annual rate: 2.13 %

Comparison, 2022

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Iran

Iran 610,000 people
World computed 20.79M people
Middle East & North Africa computed 2.58M people
Southern Asia computed 3.34M people
Lower-middle-income countries computed 6.55M people
Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Iran, by year Iran All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2022 610,000 +0 +0%
2021 610,000 +0 +0%
2020 610,000 +87,000 +16.63%
2019 523,000 +0 +0%
2018 523,000 +0 +0%
2017 523,000 +0 +0%
2016 523,000 +0 +0%
2015 523,000 +0 +0%
2014 523,000 +0 +0%
2013 523,000 +0 +0%
2012 523,000 +0 +0%
2011 523,000 +0 +0%
2010 523,000 +0 +0%
2009 523,000 −22,000 −4.04%
2008 545,000 +0 +0%
2007 545,000 +0 +0%
2006 545,000 +125,000 +29.76%
2005 420,000 −60,000 −12.5%
2004 480,000 −60,000 −11.11%
2003 540,000 +20,000 +3.85%
2002 520,000 +7,000 +1.36%
2001 513,000 +0 +0%
2000 513,000 +53,000 +11.52%
1999 460,000 +0 +0%
1998 460,000 −115,000 −20%
1997 575,000 +35,000 +6.48%
1996 540,000 +10,000 +1.89%
1995 530,000 +2,000 +0.38%
1994 528,000 +0 +0%
1993 528,000 +0 +0%
1992 528,000 +63,000 +13.55%
1991 465,000 +25,000 +5.68%
1990 440,000 −164,000 −27.15%
1989 604,000 −50,000 −7.65%
1988 654,000 +304,000 +86.86%
1987 350,000 +5,000 +1.45%
1986 345,000 +0 +0%
1985 345,000 +10,000 +2.99%
1984 335,000 +95,000 +39.58%
1983 240,000 +0 +0%
1982 240,000 −20,000 −7.69%
1981 260,000 −45,000 −14.75%
1980 305,000 −110,000 −26.51%
1979 415,000 +65,000 +18.57%
1978 350,000 +0 +0%
1977 350,000 −70,000 −16.67%
1976 420,000 +35,000 +9.09%
1975 385,000 +75,000 +24.19%
1974 310,000 +25,000 +8.77%
1973 285,000 +20,000 +7.55%
1972 265,000 +10,000 +3.92%
1971 255,000 +10,000 +4.08%
1970 245,000 +20,000 +8.89%
1969 225,000 +15,000 +7.14%
1968 210,000 +0 +0%
1967 210,000 +0 +0%
1966 210,000 +5,000 +2.44%
1965 205,000 +5,000 +2.5%
1964 200,000 +0 +0%
1963 200,000 +0 +0%
1962 200,000 +15,000 +8.11%
1961 185,000 −23,000 −11.06%
1960 208,000 +51,000 +32.48%
1959 157,000 +10,000 +6.8%
1958 147,000 +9,000 +6.52%
1957 138,000 +10,000 +7.81%
1956 128,000 +0 +0%
1955 128,000 −4,000 −3.03%
1954 132,000 +0 +0%
1953 132,000 +0 +0%
1952 132,000 +9,000 +7.32%
1951 123,000 +9,000 +7.89%
1950 114,000 +0 +0%
1949 114,000 +22,000 +23.91%
1948 92,000 +1,000 +1.1%
1947 91,000 −10,000 −9.9%
1946 101,000 +11,000 +12.22%
1945 90,000 +4,000 +4.65%
1944 86,000 +6,000 +7.5%
1943 80,000 +15,000 +23.08%
1942 65,000 −59,000 −47.58%
1941 124,000 +4,000 +3.33%
1940 120,000 +88,000 +275%
1939 32,000 −58,000 −64.44%
1938 90,000 −2,000 −2.17%
1937 92,000 −2,000 −2.13%
1936 94,000 −1,000 −1.05%
1935 95,000 −2,000 −2.06%
1934 97,000 +0 +0%
1933 97,000 +57,000 +142.5%
1932 40,000 +0 +0%
1931 40,000 +0 +0%
1930 40,000 +0 +0%
1929 40,000 +0 +0%
1928 40,000 +0 +0%
1927 40,000 +0 +0%
1926 40,000 +0 +0%
1925 40,000 +12,000 +42.86%
1924 28,000 −2,000 −6.67%
1923 30,000 −3,000 −9.09%
1922 33,000 −4,000 −10.81%
1921 37,000 −3,000 −7.5%
1920 40,000 −3,000 −6.98%
1919 43,000 −3,000 −6.52%
1918 46,000 +41,000 +820%
1917 5,000 −54,000 −91.53%
1916 59,000 +0 +0%
1915 59,000 +0 +0%
1914 59,000 +29,000 +96.67%
1913 30,000 +0 +0%
1912 30,000 +0 +0%
1911 30,000 +0 +0%
1910 30,000 +0 +0%
1909 30,000 +0 +0%
1908 30,000 +0 +0%
1907 30,000 +0 +0%
1906 30,000 +0 +0%
1905 30,000 +5,000 +20%
1904 25,000 +0 +0%
1903 25,000 +0 +0%
1902 25,000 +0 +0%
1901 25,000 +0 +0%
1900 25,000 +0 +0%
1899 25,000 +0 +0%
1898 25,000 +0 +0%
1897 25,000 +0 +0%
1896 25,000 +0 +0%
1895 25,000 +0 +0%
1894 25,000 +0 +0%
1893 25,000 +0 +0%
1892 25,000 +0 +0%
1891 25,000 +0 +0%
1890 25,000 +0 +0%
1889 25,000 +0 +0%
1888 25,000 +0 +0%
1887 25,000 +0 +0%
1886 25,000 +0 +0%
1885 25,000 −5,000 −16.67%
1884 30,000 +0 +0%
1883 30,000 +0 +0%
1882 30,000 +0 +0%
1881 30,000 +0 +0%
1880 30,000 +0 +0%
1879 30,000 +0 +0%
1878 30,000 +0 +0%
1877 30,000 +0 +0%
1876 30,000 +10,000 +50%
1875 20,000 +0 +0%
1874 20,000 +0 +0%
1873 20,000 +0 +0%
1872 20,000 +0 +0%
1871 20,000 +0 +0%
1870 20,000 +0 +0%
1869 20,000 +0 +0%
1868 20,000 +0 +0%
1867 20,000 +0 +0%
1866 20,000 +1,000 +5.26%
1865 19,000 +0 +0%
1864 19,000 +0 +0%
1863 19,000 +0 +0%
1862 19,000 +0 +0%
1861 19,000 +0 +0%
1860 19,000 +1,000 +5.56%
1859 18,000 +0 +0%
1858 18,000 +0 +0%
1857 18,000 +0 +0%
1856 18,000 +0 +0%
1855 18,000 — —

Southern Asia, 2022

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

IN India 1.46M PK Pakistan 652,000 IR Iran 610,000 LK Sri Lanka 255,000 BD Bangladesh 163,000 AF Afghanistan 100,000 NP Nepal 97,000 MV Maldives 0
Full table for all countries

About the indicator

The number of military personnel on active duty. The series was assembled by the Correlates of War project and continued with data of the International Institute for Strategic Studies; unlike the World Bank series, which begins in 1985, it reaches 1816 and makes military buildup over two centuries visible — including both world wars.

Important: Over two hundred years borders and the composition of countries changed, so the series before the middle of the 20th century refers to the territory of the time: comparing adjacent years is reliable, comparing 1830 with 2020 only loosely so.

Source: Military Expenditure Database (SIPRI), license SIPRI terms of use.

Other indicators for Iran

Defense Armed forces personnel

The number of active-duty military personnel and paramilitary forces.

Iran by year Defense Armed forces as a share of the population

What share of a country’s population military personnel make up — a measure of how militarized a society is.

Iran by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

Iran by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

Iran by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

Iran by year Defense Arms exports

Transfers of major conventional weapons abroad, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV).

Iran by year
All indicators for Iran