Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Iran
Iran: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled was 650,000 in 2020. ▬ Flat
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Iran, 1985–2020
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Iran stood at 650,000.
The figure is up 15.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Iran peaked at 868,000 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 440,000, in 1990.
Iran ranks 10th of 173 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Iran, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 610,000 | — |
| 1986 | 608,500 | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 607,000 | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 605,500 | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 604,000 | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 440,000 | -27.2% |
| 1991 | 465,000 | +5.7% |
| 1992 | 528,000 | +13.5% |
| 1993 | 528,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 528,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 763,000 | +44.5% |
| 1996 | 863,000 | +13.1% |
| 1997 | 868,000 | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 820,000 | -5.5% |
| 1999 | 785,600 | -4.2% |
| 2000 | 753,000 | -4.1% |
| 2001 | 553,000 | -26.6% |
| 2002 | 560,000 | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 580,000 | +3.6% |
| 2004 | 460,000 | -20.7% |
| 2005 | 585,000 | +27.2% |
| 2006 | 585,000 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 563,000 | -3.8% |
| 2008 | 563,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 563,000 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 563,000 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 563,000 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 563,000 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 563,000 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 563,000 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 563,000 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 563,000 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 563,000 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 650,000 | +15.5% |
| 2019 | 650,000 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 650,000 | +0.0% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 650,000 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 64,000, 10.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Iran's 650,000 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 80,000, 8.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Iran changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +44.5% | 528,000 | 763,000 |
| 2005 | +27.2% | 460,000 | 585,000 |
| 1990 | -27.2% | 604,000 | 440,000 |
| 2001 | -26.6% | 753,000 | 553,000 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 607,000 | 604,000 | 610,000 | 5 |
| 1990s | 658,860 | 440,000 | 868,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 576,500 | 460,000 | 753,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 580,400 | 563,000 | 650,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 650,000 | 650,000 | 650,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More public sector data for Iran
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Democracy 2 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 0 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Iran?
- Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Iran was 650,000 in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 868,000 in 1997.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 440,000 in 1990.
- How does Iran rank for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled?
- Iran ranks 10th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Armed forces personnel, total with 597 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.
Computed from
- Armed forces personnel, total The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Armed forces personnel, total with 597 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.