Iran vs South Korea: Armed forces personnel, total
Iran
650,000
in 2020
South Korea
569,000
in 2020
Iran rank
10th
South Korea rank
11th
Armed forces personnel, total over time
- Iran
- South Korea
How they compare
Iran currently reports 650,000 against 569,000 in South Korea, a difference of 81,000.
That makes Iran's figure about 1.1 times South Korea's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Iran ahead.
Iran ranks 10th and South Korea ranks 11th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 1 and South Korea in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 607,000 | 622,500 | 15,500 | South Korea |
| 1990s | 658,860 | 698,850 | 39,990 | South Korea |
| 2000s | 576,500 | 688,050 | 111,550 | South Korea |
| 2010s | 580,400 | 639,400 | 59,000 | South Korea |
| 2020s | 650,000 | 569,000 | 81,000 | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, Iran or South Korea?
- Iran, at 650,000 against 569,000 in South Korea as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total between Iran and South Korea?
- 81,000, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and South Korea?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Iran and South Korea rank globally for armed forces personnel, total?
- Iran ranks 10th and South Korea ranks 11th of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as Armed forces personnel, total. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.