Asia · Southern Asia. Figures are educated estimates from open reporting or, where marked, formula-modeled. Blank fields are not estimated, not assumed zero.
Overview
Iran is located in Asia (Southern Asia). It has an estimated population of 88,000,000, with a nominal GDP of roughly $400 billion (about $4,545 per capita). Its armed forces field an estimated 610,000 active-duty personnel, backed by roughly 350,000 reservists, ranking #8 of 174 countries in this dataset by active personnel. Estimated annual defense spending is around $20B, roughly 5.0% of GDP. Its inventory includes an estimated 551 military aircraft, 1,996 tanks, 110 naval vessels. Iran's air fleet is assessed as mixed and its armored fleet as mixed in this dataset's modernity model. Iran has a advanced-tier documented drone/UAV program. Iran is currently involved in 1 active conflict tracked on this site: 2026 Iran War. Over the past three decades, Iran has also been involved in 2 other documented conflicts, including Syrian Civil War (peak years), Iran–Pakistan Cross-Border Strikes. Overall, Iran ranks #16 of 145 in the military strength index referenced by this dataset.
Auto-generated from the figures on this page — not independently researched prose.
Following the 2026 Iran War, credible reporting indicates a substantial share of Iran's air force and naval assets were damaged or destroyed in US/Israeli strikes. Figures below reflect Iran's pre-war baseline, not a confirmed post-war status.
Active Conflicts (1)
Conflict
Region
Est. Deaths
2026 Iran War
Middle East · US/Israel vs. Iran, began Feb 2026
10,000+
Historical Record (concluded wars only)
Conflict
Outcome
Iran-Iraq War (1980-88)
DRAW / CONTESTED
Conflicts, Past 30 Years (2)
Conflict
Years
Est. Deaths
Syrian Civil War (peak years)
2011–2020
580,000+
Iran–Pakistan Cross-Border Strikes
2024
11+
Category Shape vs. world, log scale
Economy & Demographics
👥Population
88,000,000#17 of 196
📈GDP (Nominal)
$400B#38 of 194
💵GDP Per Capita
$4,545#119 of 194
Manpower
🪖Active Personnel
610,000#8 of 174
🎖️Reserve Personnel
350,000#15 of 141
👮Paramilitary Forces
190,000
Financials & Strategic
💰Defense Budget
$20B#23 of 178
☢️Nuclear Warheads
None declared
🛰️Drone / UAV Capability
Advanced
Airpower
✈️Total Aircraft
551#21 of 98
🛩️Fighter Aircraft
186#14 of 78
🛫Bombers & Other Aircraft
365
🚁Helicopters (Total)
129
✈️Air Fleet Modernity
MIXED
Modernity score 3.1/5.0.
Named Aircraft Fleet (195 of 551 total)
ESTIMATED
F-14 Tomcat (1970s, ~40 flyable) GEN 4 · MAINSTAY
40
MiG-29 GEN 4 · MAINSTAY
35
F-4 Phantom (legacy) GEN 3 · AGING
60
F-5 (legacy) GEN 2 · OBSOLETE
60
Fleet Modernity Score
3.1 / 5.0
Count-weighted average generation of the named fleet above, NOT raw aircraft count. This is exactly the fix for "600 obsolete jets vs. 300 modern ones": North Korea has more aircraft than most of its neighbors but a modernity score near 2.0 (nearly all Gen 2-3), while the US and Israel score near 4.5-5.0 despite smaller headline totals in some matchups.
Named Tank Fleet (780 of 1,996 total)
ESTIMATED
Zulfiqar (indigenous) DATED
150
T-72 (legacy) DATED
480
Chieftain/M60 (legacy) OBSOLETE
150
Era reflects armor generation, not raw count — e.g. North Korea's tank fleet is numerically large but almost entirely Cold War-era T-55/T-62 derivatives, while a much smaller modern Advanced-era fleet (M1A2 Abrams, Leopard 2A7, K2 Black Panther class) typically outmatches it on paper.