North Korea vs Middle income: Armed forces personnel, total

North Korea
1.47 million
in 2020
Middle income
17.48 million
in 2020
North Korea rank
3rd
Middle income rank
4th

Armed forces personnel, total over time

  • North Korea
  • Middle income
05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M198520022020

How they compare

Middle income currently reports 17.48 million against 1.47 million in North Korea, a difference of 16.01 million.

That makes Middle income's figure about 11.9 times North Korea's.

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

North Korea ranks 3rd and Middle income ranks 4th of 173 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade North Korea Middle income Difference Ahead
1980s 939,000 13.39 million 12.45 million Middle income
1990s 1.19 million 15.21 million 14.02 million Middle income
2000s 1.29 million 17.19 million 15.90 million Middle income
2010s 1.42 million 17.26 million 15.84 million Middle income
2020s 1.47 million 17.48 million 16.01 million Middle income

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, North Korea or Middle income?
Middle income, at 17.48 million against 1.47 million in North Korea as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total between North Korea and Middle income?
16.01 million, with Middle income ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and Middle income?
33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
How do North Korea and Middle income rank globally for armed forces personnel, total?
North Korea ranks 3rd and Middle income ranks 4th 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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North Korea vs Middle income: Armed forces personnel, total. Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/armed-forces-personnel-total/korea-dem-people-s-rep/middle-income/

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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.