South Korea vs North America: Armed forces personnel, total, per capita

South Korea
0.011 units per person
in 2020
North America
0.004 units per person
in 2020
South Korea rank
18th
North America rank
19th

Armed forces personnel, total, per capita over time

  • South Korea
  • North America
0.0050.010.015198520022020

How they compare

South Korea currently reports 0.011 units per person against 0.004 units per person in North America, a difference of 0.007 units per person.

That makes South Korea's figure about 2.8 times North America's.

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

South Korea ranks 18th and North America ranks 19th of 173 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade South Korea North America Difference Ahead
1980s 0.0149 units per person 0.0085 units per person 0.0065 units per person South Korea
1990s 0.0156 units per person 0.0063 units per person 0.0093 units per person South Korea
2000s 0.0143 units per person 0.0048 units per person 0.0095 units per person South Korea
2010s 0.0126 units per person 0.0042 units per person 0.0084 units per person South Korea
2020s 0.011 units per person 0.004 units per person 0.007 units per person South Korea

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, per capita, South Korea or North America?
South Korea, at 0.011 units per person against 0.004 units per person in North America as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total, per capita between South Korea and North America?
0.007 units per person, with South Korea ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and North America?
33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
How do South Korea and North America rank globally for armed forces personnel, total, per capita?
South Korea ranks 18th and North America ranks 19th 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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South Korea vs North America: Armed forces personnel, total, per capita. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/armed-forces-personnel-total-per-capita/korea-rep/north-america/

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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.