Iran vs Turkey: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled

Iran
650,000
in 2020
Turkey
512,000
in 2020
Iran rank
10th
Turkey rank
13th

Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled over time

  • Iran
  • Turkey
0200.0k400.0k600.0k800.0k198520022020

How they compare

Iran currently reports 650,000 against 512,000 in Turkey, a difference of 138,000.

That makes Iran's figure about 1.3 times Turkey's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 36 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Turkey ahead.

Iran ranks 10th and Turkey ranks 13th of 173 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 2 and Turkey in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Iran Turkey Difference Ahead
1980s 607,000 705,000 98,000 Turkey
1990s 658,860 765,480 106,620 Turkey
2000s 576,500 650,520 74,020 Turkey
2010s 580,400 562,420 17,980 Iran
2020s 650,000 512,000 138,000 Iran

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled, Iran or Turkey?
Iran, at 650,000 against 512,000 in Turkey as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled between Iran and Turkey?
138,000, with Iran ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Turkey?
36 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
How do Iran and Turkey rank globally for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled?
Iran ranks 10th and Turkey ranks 13th of 173 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Statizoid (derived), published as Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Iran vs Turkey: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 11 October 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/armed-forces-personnel-total-gaps-filled/iran-islamic-rep/turkiye/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page; please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/armed-forces-personnel-total-gaps-filled/iran-islamic-rep/turkiye/">Iran vs Turkey: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
219 places, 7,420 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

Armed forces personnel, total with 597 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.