North Korea vs World: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled
North Korea
1.47 million
in 2020
World
27.41 million
in 2020
North Korea rank
3rd
World rank
1st
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled over time
- North Korea
- World
How they compare
World currently reports 27.41 million against 1.47 million in North Korea, a difference of 25.94 million.
That makes World's figure about 18.7 times North Korea's.
Across all 36 years both countries report, World has been ahead every year.
North Korea ranks 3rd and World ranks 1st of 173 countries.
World has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | World | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 939,000 | 23.25 million | 22.31 million | World |
| 1990s | 1.19 million | 26.79 million | 25.59 million | World |
| 2000s | 1.29 million | 27.94 million | 26.64 million | World |
| 2010s | 1.42 million | 27.65 million | 26.24 million | World |
| 2020s | 1.47 million | 27.41 million | 25.94 million | World |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled, North Korea or World?
- World, at 27.41 million against 1.47 million in North Korea as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled between North Korea and World?
- 25.94 million, with World ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and World?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do North Korea and World rank globally for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled?
- North Korea ranks 3rd and World ranks 1st of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Statizoid (derived), published as Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Armed forces personnel, total with 597 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.