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

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

Armed forces personnel, total over time

  • Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
  • World
010.0M20.0M30.0M198520022020

How they compare

World currently reports 27.41 million against 1.47 million in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of, a difference of 25.94 million.

That makes World's figure about 18.7 times Korea, Democratic People's Republic of's.

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

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

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Korea, Democratic People's Republic of World Difference Ahead
1980s 939,000 23.25 million 22.31 million World
1990s 1.19 million 26.79 million 25.59 million World
2000s 1.29 million 27.94 million 26.64 million World
2010s 1.42 million 27.65 million 26.24 million World
2020s 1.47 million 27.41 million 25.94 million World

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, Korea, Democratic People's Republic of or World?
World, at 27.41 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 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of and World?
25.94 million, with World ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Korea, Democratic People's Republic of and World?
33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
How do Korea, Democratic People's Republic of and World rank globally for armed forces personnel, total?
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of ranks 3rd and World ranks 1st 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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Korea, Democratic People's Republic of vs World: Armed forces personnel, total. Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/armed-forces-personnel-total/korea-dem-people-s-rep/world/

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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.