Armed forces personnel in Iraq
Iraq: Armed forces personnel was 4.4% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Armed forces personnel in Iraq, 1990–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel in Iraq stood at 4.4%.
That represents a change of up 31.5% on the previous year and down 58.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Iraq peaked at 34.0% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 2.0%, in 2013.
That places Iraq 7th out of 171 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Armed forces personnel in Iraq, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 34.0% | — |
| 1991 | 11.5% | -66.3% |
| 1992 | 9.5% | -16.9% |
| 1993 | 9.0% | -4.9% |
| 1994 | 9.0% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 8.3% | -7.5% |
| 1996 | 8.5% | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 8.5% | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 8.9% | +4.7% |
| 1999 | 8.6% | -3.3% |
| 2000 | 8.3% | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 7.8% | -5.7% |
| 2002 | 7.0% | -10.6% |
| 2003 | 6.8% | -3.2% |
| 2004 | 2.7% | -59.8% |
| 2005 | 3.3% | +22.7% |
| 2006 | 7.2% | +115.7% |
| 2007 | 5.3% | -26.6% |
| 2008 | 8.2% | +56.0% |
| 2009 | 9.1% | +10.0% |
| 2010 | 10.7% | +17.7% |
| 2011 | 10.3% | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 9.9% | -4.3% |
| 2013 | 2.0% | -79.4% |
| 2014 | 2.2% | +10.7% |
| 2015 | 2.2% | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 2.1% | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 2.1% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 3.3% | +58.5% |
| 2019 | 3.3% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 4.4% | +31.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.6% | 8.3% | 34.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.6% | 2.7% | 9.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.8% | 2.0% | 10.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
- 4 Djibouti 5.4% compare
- 5 Sao Tome and Principe 5.1% compare
- 6 Montenegro 4.7% compare
- 8 Israel 4.2% compare
- 9 Lebanon 4.1% compare
- 10 Lao People's Democratic Republic 4.1% compare
More public sector data for Iraq
- Arms imports 23.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.4995 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -20.69 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 23.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 134.19 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0221 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 11.95 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 6.18 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 66.8 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Iraq?
- Armed forces personnel in Iraq was 4.4% in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 34.0% in 1990.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.0% in 2013.
- How does Iraq rank for armed forces personnel?
- Iraq ranks 7th out of 171 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is down 58.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iraq data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as part of Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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. Labor force comprises all people who meet the International Labour Organization's definition of the economically active population.