Bahrain vs Iran: Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force
Bahrain
2.3%
in 2020
Iran
2.4%
in 2020
Bahrain rank
24th
Iran rank
22nd
Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force over time
- Bahrain
- Iran
How they compare
Iran currently reports 2.4% against 2.3% in Bahrain, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 31 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Bahrain ahead.
Bahrain ranks 24th and Iran ranks 22nd of 171 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Bahrain averaged higher in 3 and Iran in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Bahrain | Iran | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.5% | 4.0% | 1.6% | Bahrain |
| 2000s | 5.0% | 2.5% | 2.4% | Bahrain |
| 2010s | 2.5% | 2.2% | 0.3% | Bahrain |
| 2020s | 2.3% | 2.4% | 0.0% | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force, Bahrain or Iran?
- Iran, at 2.4% against 2.3% in Bahrain as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force between Bahrain and Iran?
- 0.1%, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Bahrain and Iran?
- 31 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2020.
- How do Bahrain and Iran rank globally for armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force?
- Bahrain ranks 24th and Iran ranks 22nd of 171 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.