Iraq vs Türkiye: Armed forces personnel, total

Iraq
459,000
in 2020
Türkiye
512,000
in 2020
Iraq rank
15th
Türkiye rank
13th

Armed forces personnel, total over time

  • Iraq
  • Türkiye
250.0k500.0k750.0k1.0M1.2M1.5M198520022020

How they compare

Türkiye currently reports 512,000 against 459,000 in Iraq, a difference of 53,000.

That makes Türkiye's figure about 1.1 times Iraq's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Iraq ahead.

Iraq ranks 15th and Türkiye ranks 13th of 173 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Iraq averaged higher in 1 and Türkiye in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Iraq Türkiye Difference Ahead
1980s 1.00 million 705,000 295,000 Iraq
1990s 534,470 765,480 231,010 Türkiye
2000s 430,940 650,520 219,580 Türkiye
2010s 409,780 562,420 152,640 Türkiye
2020s 459,000 512,000 53,000 Türkiye

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, Iraq or Türkiye?
Türkiye, at 512,000 against 459,000 in Iraq as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total between Iraq and Türkiye?
53,000, with Türkiye ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iraq and Türkiye?
33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
How do Iraq and Türkiye rank globally for armed forces personnel, total?
Iraq ranks 15th and Türkiye 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.

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Iraq vs Türkiye: Armed forces personnel, total. Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/armed-forces-personnel-total/iraq/turkiye/

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About this data

Indicator
Armed forces personnel, total
Source
The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
219 places, 6,823 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

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.