Military Strength: Iraq vs Syria
Iraq (ranked #34 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Syria (#56) on the Global Military Index. Iraq fields 459,000 active troops vs 269,000 for Syria, backed by 266,000 paramilitary. Iraq's $6B defense budget is 2.5x that of Syria ($2B). In the air, Iraq operates 396 aircraft including 53 combat jets, while Syria fields 414 with 225 fighters. Iraq operates a 62-ship naval fleet; Syria has no navy. On the ground, Iraq deploys 1,025 main battle tanks vs 365 for Syria. Neither Iraq nor Syria possesses nuclear weapons.
| 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 ◉ |
| Global Military Index | 43.6 (#56) ◉ |
| 🪖 Military personnel | 269,000 ◉ |
| – Reserve troops | 0 ◉ |
| – Paramilitary forces | 0 ◉ |
| 🛩️ Military aircraft | 414 ◉ |
| – incl. combat aircraft | 225 ◉ |
| – incl. bombers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. helicopters | 153 ◉ |
| ⚓️ Military ships | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. aircraft carriers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. submarines | 0 ◉ |
| 🚛 Main battle tanks | 365 ◉ |
| 💥 Nuclear warheads | 0 ◉ |
🇮🇶 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 |
🇸🇾 Syria Global Military Index
43.4
Global Rank: #56
| 🪖 Manpower (15%) | 74.7 | Active, reserve & paramilitary: 169000 effective |
| 🛡️ Ground Firepower (20%) | 57.0 | Main battle tanks: 365 |
| ⚓ Naval Power (20%) | 0.0 | Weighted by ship type: carriers, submarines, destroyers... |
| ✈️ Air Power (25%) | 62.5 | Weighted by aircraft type: combat, bombers, helicopters... |
| ☢️ Nuclear Deterrent (10%) | 0.0 | No declared nuclear capability |
| 💰 Defense Budget (10%) | 52.3 | $2.5B annual military spending |
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| 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 ◉ |
| Population | 21.0 million ◉ |
| GDP | $12.0 billion ◉ |
| GDP per capita | $572 ◉ |
| Military Budget | $2.5 billion ◉ |
| Share of GDP in Milex | 4.1% ◉ |
| Share of Govt Expenditures | 13.6% ◉ |
| Military spends per capita | $110 ◉ |
Iraq Geography
| Land Area | 437,367 km² ◉ |
| Coastline Length | 58 km ◉ |
Syria Geography
| Land Area | 183,630 km² ◉ |
| Coastline Length | 193 km ◉ |
Military Forces Chart
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Military Budget Evolution
Military Personnel Evolution
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Iraq or Syria?
Iraq has approximately 459,000 active military personnel compared to Syria's 269,000, giving Iraq a 1.7:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Iraq or Syria?
Syria operates 225 combat aircraft compared to Iraq's 53. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Iraq or Syria?
Iraq has a larger navy with 62 vessels compared to Syria's 0 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, Iraq or Syria?
Iraq has a larger defense budget at $6.2 billion (2:1 more) compared to Syria's $2.5 billion annually.
Do Iraq and Syria have nuclear weapons?
Neither Iraq nor Syria currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Iraq and Syria compare?
Iraq operates 1,025 main battle tanks compared to Syria's 365. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.