Military Strength: Iran vs Iraq
Iran (ranked #13 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Iraq (#34) on the Global Military Index. Iran fields 650,000 active troops vs 459,000 for Iraq, backed by 350,000 reserves and 40,000 paramilitary. Iran allocates $8B to defense compared to $6B for Iraq. In the air, Iran operates 627 aircraft including 286 combat jets, while Iraq fields 396 with 53 fighters. At sea, Iran's 97-ship navy outnumbers Iraq's 62 vessels, including 6 and 0 submarines respectively. On the ground, Iran deploys 1,713 main battle tanks vs 1,025 for Iraq. Neither Iran nor Iraq 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 | 51.8 (#34) ◉ |
| 🪖 Military personnel | 459,000 ◉ |
| – Reserve troops | 0 ◉ |
| – Paramilitary forces | 266,000 ◉ |
| 🛩️ Military aircraft | 396 ◉ |
| – incl. combat aircraft | 53 ◉ |
| – incl. bombers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. helicopters | 213 ◉ |
| ⚓️ Military ships | 62 ◉ |
| – incl. aircraft carriers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. submarines | 0 ◉ |
| 🚛 Main battle tanks | 1,025 ◉ |
| 💥 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 |
🇮🇶 Iraq Global Military Index
51.9
Global Rank: #34
| 🪖 Manpower (15%) | 77.7 | Active, reserve & paramilitary: 272800 effective |
| 🛡️ Ground Firepower (20%) | 66.9 | Main battle tanks: 1025 |
| ⚓ Naval Power (20%) | 34.3 | Weighted by ship type: carriers, submarines, destroyers... |
| ✈️ Air Power (25%) | 56.8 | Weighted by aircraft type: combat, bombers, helicopters... |
| ☢️ Nuclear Deterrent (10%) | 0.0 | No declared nuclear capability |
| 💰 Defense Budget (10%) | 58.3 | $6.2B 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 | 45.1 million ◉ |
| GDP | $250.8 billion ◉ |
| GDP per capita | $5,565 ◉ |
| Military Budget | $6.2 billion ◉ |
| Share of GDP in Milex | 2.4% ◉ |
| Share of Govt Expenditures | 4.9% ◉ |
| Military spends per capita | $136 ◉ |
Iran Geography
| Land Area | 1,531,595 km² ◉ |
| Coastline Length | 2,440 km ◉ |
Iraq Geography
| Land Area | 437,367 km² ◉ |
| Coastline Length | 58 km ◉ |
Military Forces Chart
Economic Metrics Chart
Military Budget Evolution
Military Personnel Evolution
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Iran or Iraq?
Iran has approximately 650,000 active military personnel compared to Iraq's 459,000.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Iran or Iraq?
Iran operates 286 combat aircraft compared to Iraq's 53. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Iran or Iraq?
Iran has a larger navy with 97 vessels compared to Iraq's 62 ships. Iran operates 6 submarines while Iraq has 0.
Which country spends more on defense, Iran or Iraq?
Iran has a larger defense budget at $7.9 billion compared to Iraq's $6.2 billion annually.
Do Iran and Iraq have nuclear weapons?
Neither Iran nor Iraq currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Iran and Iraq compare?
Iran operates 1,713 main battle tanks compared to Iraq's 1,025. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.