Military Strength: 
United Arab Emirates vs 
Iraq
United Arab Emirates (ranked #27 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Iraq (#36) on the ATLAS Index. Iraq fields 459,000 active troops — 7.3:1 United Arab Emirates's 63,000, backed by 266,000 paramilitary. United Arab Emirates's $22B defense budget is 3.2:1 that of Iraq ($7B).
ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
United Arab EmiratesWorld #27
39.6
ATLAS Index / 100
United Arab Emirates leads on 3 of 6 pillars
IraqWorld #36
33.8
United Arab Emirates
Iraq
Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · each conventional pillar read after its branch's availability proxy · Methodology
Key figures
| United Arab Emirates | Iraq | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $22B | $7B | 🇦🇪 3.2× |
| – share of GDP | 4.0% | 2.5% | 🇦🇪 1.6× |
| Active personnel | 63,000 | 459,000 | 🇮🇶 7.3× |
| Combat aircraft | 135 | 53 | 🇦🇪 2.5× |
| Warships | 83 | 62 | 🇦🇪 1.3× |
| – submarines | 0 | 0 | — |
| Main battle tanks | 354 | 1,025 | 🇮🇶 2.9× |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 130,000 | 0 | 🇦🇪 |
| Paramilitary forces | 0 | 266,000 | 🇮🇶 |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 592 | 396 | 🇦🇪 1.5× |
| – helicopters | 264 | 213 | 🇦🇪 1.2× |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $2,011 | $152 | 🇦🇪 13× |
| Population | 11M | 46M | 🇮🇶 4.2× |
| GDP | $552B | $280B | 🇦🇪 2.0× |
| GDP per capita | $50,274 | $6,074 | 🇦🇪 8.3× |
| Land area | 83,600 km² | 437,367 km² | 🇮🇶 5.2× |
| Coastline | 1,318 km | 58 km | 🇦🇪 23× |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
Defense budget history United Arab Emirates ×1.0 · Iraq ×1.2 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, United Arab Emirates or Iraq?
Iraq has approximately 459,000 active military personnel compared to United Arab Emirates's 63,000, giving Iraq a 7.3:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, United Arab Emirates or Iraq?
United Arab Emirates operates 135 combat aircraft compared to Iraq's 53. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, United Arab Emirates or Iraq?
United Arab Emirates has a larger navy with 83 vessels compared to Iraq's 62 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, United Arab Emirates or Iraq?
United Arab Emirates has a larger defense budget at $22.1 billion (3.2:1 more) compared to Iraq's $7 billion annually.
Do United Arab Emirates and Iraq have nuclear weapons?
Neither United Arab Emirates nor Iraq currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of United Arab Emirates and Iraq compare?
Iraq operates 1,025 main battle tanks compared to United Arab Emirates's 354. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.