Iraq vs Viet Nam: Armed forces personnel, total

Iraq
459,000
in 2020
Viet Nam
522,000
in 2020
Iraq rank
15th
Viet Nam rank
12th

Armed forces personnel, total over time

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

How they compare

Viet Nam currently reports 522,000 against 459,000 in Iraq, a difference of 63,000.

That makes Viet Nam's figure about 1.1 times Iraq's.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 32 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Viet Nam ahead.

Iraq ranks 15th and Viet Nam ranks 12th of 173 countries.

Viet Nam has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Iraq Viet Nam Difference Ahead
1980s 1.00 million 1.14 million 138,500 Viet Nam
1990s 534,470 735,300 200,830 Viet Nam
2000s 458,933 507,889 48,956 Viet Nam
2010s 409,780 522,000 112,220 Viet Nam
2020s 459,000 522,000 63,000 Viet Nam

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, Iraq or Viet Nam?
Viet Nam, at 522,000 against 459,000 in Iraq as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total between Iraq and Viet Nam?
63,000, with Viet Nam ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iraq and Viet Nam?
32 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
How do Iraq and Viet Nam rank globally for armed forces personnel, total?
Iraq ranks 15th and Viet Nam ranks 12th 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 Viet Nam: Armed forces personnel, total. Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 18 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/armed-forces-personnel-total/iraq/viet-nam/

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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.