Military Strength: Iran vs Yemen

Overview

Iran (ranked #13 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Yemen (#76) on the Global Military Index. Iran fields 650,000 active troops — 32:1 Yemen's 20,000, backed by 350,000 reserves and 40,000 paramilitary. Iran's $8B defense budget is 4.6x that of Yemen ($2B).

In the air, Iran operates 627 aircraft including 286 combat jets, while Yemen fields 156 with 75 fighters.

At sea, Iran's 97-ship navy outnumbers Yemen's 29 vessels, including 6 and 0 submarines respectively. On the ground, Iran deploys 1,713 main battle tanks vs 0 for Yemen.

Neither Iran nor Yemen possesses nuclear weapons.

Global Military Index 60.4 (#13)
🪖 Military personnel 650,000
– Reserve troops 350,000
– Paramilitary forces 40,000
🛩️ Military aircraft 627
– incl. combat aircraft 286
– incl. bombers 0
– incl. helicopters 160
⚓️ Military ships 97
– incl. aircraft carriers 1
– incl. submarines 6
🚛 Main battle tanks 1,713
💥 Nuclear warheads 0
Global Military Index 36.1 (#76)
🪖 Military personnel 20,000
– Reserve troops 0
– Paramilitary forces 0
🛩️ Military aircraft 156
– incl. combat aircraft 75
– incl. bombers 0
– incl. helicopters 40
⚓️ Military ships 29
– incl. aircraft carriers 0
– incl. submarines 0
🚛 Main battle tanks 0
💥 Nuclear warheads 0

🇮🇷 Iran Global Military Index

60.7
Global Rank: #13
🪖 Manpower (15%) 84.3 Active, reserve & paramilitary: 797000 effective
🛡️ Ground Firepower (20%) 71.9 Main battle tanks: 1713
⚓ Naval Power (20%) 58.4 Weighted by ship type: carriers, submarines, destroyers...
✈️ Air Power (25%) 63.9 Weighted by aircraft type: combat, bombers, helicopters...
☢️ Nuclear Deterrent (10%) 0.0 No declared nuclear capability
💰 Defense Budget (10%) 60.0 $7.9B annual military spending

🇾🇪 Yemen Global Military Index

35.8
Global Rank: #76
🪖 Manpower (15%) 65.7 Active, reserve & paramilitary: 40000 effective
🛡️ Ground Firepower (20%) 0.0 Main battle tanks: 0
⚓ Naval Power (20%) 37.0 Weighted by ship type: carriers, submarines, destroyers...
✈️ Air Power (25%) 54.4 Weighted by aircraft type: combat, bombers, helicopters...
☢️ Nuclear Deterrent (10%) 0.0 No declared nuclear capability
💰 Defense Budget (10%) 49.8 $1.7B annual military spending

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Population 90.6 million
GDP $404.6 billion
GDP per capita $4,466
Military Budget $7.9 billion
Share of GDP in Milex 2.0%
Share of Govt Expenditures 12.6%
Military spends per capita $87
Population 34.1 million
GDP $21.6 billion
GDP per capita $634
Military Budget $1.7 billion
Share of GDP in Milex 4.0%
Share of Govt Expenditures 14.3%
Military spends per capita $58

Iran Geography

Land Area 1,531,595 km²
Coastline Length 2,440 km

Yemen Geography

Land Area 527,968 km²
Coastline Length 1,906 km

Military Forces Chart

Economic Metrics Chart

Military Budget Evolution

Military Personnel Evolution

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Iran or Yemen?
Iran has approximately 650,000 active military personnel compared to Yemen's 20,000, giving Iran a 32:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Iran or Yemen?
Iran operates 286 combat aircraft compared to Yemen's 75. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Iran or Yemen?
Iran has a larger navy with 97 vessels compared to Yemen's 29 ships. Iran operates 6 submarines while Yemen has 0.
Which country spends more on defense, Iran or Yemen?
Iran has a larger defense budget at $7.9 billion (5:1 more) compared to Yemen's $1.7 billion annually.
Do Iran and Yemen have nuclear weapons?
Neither Iran nor Yemen currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Iran and Yemen compare?
Iran operates 1,713 main battle tanks compared to Yemen's 0. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.