Iran vs Turkey: Armed forces personnel, total
Iran
650,000
in 2020
Turkey
512,000
in 2020
Iran rank
10th
Turkey rank
13th
Armed forces personnel, total over time
- Iran
- Turkey
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 33 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, Iran or Turkey?
- Iran, at 650,000 against 512,000 in Turkey as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total between Iran and Turkey?
- 138,000, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Turkey?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Iran and Turkey rank globally for armed forces personnel, total?
- Iran ranks 10th and Turkey ranks 13th 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.