North Korea vs World: Armed forces personnel, total, per capita

North Korea
0.0562 units per person
in 2020
World
0.0035 units per person
in 2020
North Korea rank
2nd
World rank
3rd

Armed forces personnel, total, per capita over time

  • North Korea
  • World
00.020.040.06198520022020

How they compare

North Korea currently reports 0.0562 units per person against 0.0035 units per person in World, a difference of 0.0527 units per person.

That makes North Korea's figure about 16.1 times World's.

Across all 33 years both countries report, North Korea has been ahead every year.

North Korea ranks 2nd and World ranks 3rd of 173 countries.

North Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade North Korea World Difference Ahead
1980s 0.0464 units per person 0.0046 units per person 0.0417 units per person North Korea
1990s 0.0533 units per person 0.0047 units per person 0.0486 units per person North Korea
2000s 0.0531 units per person 0.0043 units per person 0.0488 units per person North Korea
2010s 0.0555 units per person 0.0037 units per person 0.0517 units per person North Korea
2020s 0.0562 units per person 0.0035 units per person 0.0527 units per person North Korea

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, per capita, North Korea or World?
North Korea, at 0.0562 units per person against 0.0035 units per person in World as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total, per capita between North Korea and World?
0.0527 units per person, with North Korea ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and World?
33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
How do North Korea and World rank globally for armed forces personnel, total, per capita?
North Korea ranks 2nd and World ranks 3rd of 173 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Statizoid (derived), published as Armed forces personnel, total, per capita. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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North Korea vs World: Armed forces personnel, total, per capita. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/armed-forces-personnel-total-per-capita/korea-dem-people-s-rep/world/

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About this data

Indicator
Armed forces personnel, total, per capita
Unit
units per person
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
219 places, 6,823 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

Armed forces personnel, total divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.