North Korea vs United States: Armed forces personnel, total
North Korea
1.47 million
in 2020
United States
1.40 million
in 2020
North Korea rank
3rd
United States rank
5th
Armed forces personnel, total over time
- North Korea
- United States
How they compare
North Korea currently reports 1.47 million against 1.40 million in United States, a difference of 74,000.
That makes North Korea's figure about 1.1 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was United States ahead.
North Korea ranks 3rd and United States ranks 5th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, North Korea averaged higher in 1 and United States in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 939,000 | 2.20 million | 1.26 million | United States |
| 1990s | 1.19 million | 1.77 million | 572,600 | United States |
| 2000s | 1.29 million | 1.50 million | 208,750 | United States |
| 2010s | 1.42 million | 1.42 million | 6,862 | United States |
| 2020s | 1.47 million | 1.40 million | 74,000 | North Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, North Korea or United States?
- North Korea, at 1.47 million against 1.40 million in United States as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total between North Korea and United States?
- 74,000, with North Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and United States?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do North Korea and United States rank globally for armed forces personnel, total?
- North Korea ranks 3rd and United States ranks 5th 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.
Individual pages
About this data
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.