India vs Korea, Democratic People's Republic of: Armed forces personnel, total

India
3.07 million
in 2020
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
1.47 million
in 2020
India rank
1st
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of rank
3rd

Armed forces personnel, total over time

  • India
  • Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
1.0M1.5M2.0M2.5M3.0M198520022020

How they compare

India currently reports 3.07 million against 1.47 million in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of, a difference of 1.60 million.

That makes India's figure about 2.1 times Korea, Democratic People's Republic of's.

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

India ranks 1st and Korea, Democratic People's Republic of ranks 3rd of 173 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade India Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Difference Ahead
1980s 1.26 million 939,000 321,000 India
1990s 1.75 million 1.19 million 552,950 India
2000s 2.56 million 1.29 million 1.27 million India
2010s 2.84 million 1.42 million 1.42 million India
2020s 3.07 million 1.47 million 1.60 million India

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, India or Korea, Democratic People's Republic of?
India, at 3.07 million against 1.47 million in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total between India and Korea, Democratic People's Republic of?
1.60 million, with India ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for India and Korea, Democratic People's Republic of?
33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
How do India and Korea, Democratic People's Republic of rank globally for armed forces personnel, total?
India ranks 1st and Korea, Democratic People's Republic of ranks 3rd of 173 countries.
Where does this data come from?
The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as Armed forces personnel, total. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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India vs Korea, Democratic People's Republic of: Armed forces personnel, total. Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/armed-forces-personnel-total/india/korea-dem-people-s-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Armed forces personnel, total
Source
The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
219 places, 6,823 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.