Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in North Korea
North Korea: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled was 1.47 million in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in North Korea, 1985–2020
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in North Korea stood at 1.47 million. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of up 6.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in North Korea peaked at 1.47 million in 2016 and was at its lowest, 838,000, in 1985.
North Korea ranks 3rd of 173 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 838,000 | — |
| 1986 | 888,500 | +6.0% |
| 1987 | 939,000 | +5.7% |
| 1988 | 989,500 | +5.4% |
| 1989 | 1.04 million | +5.1% |
| 1990 | 1.20 million | +15.4% |
| 1991 | 1.20 million | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 1.20 million | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 1.10 million | -8.3% |
| 1994 | 1.10 million | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 1.24 million | +13.0% |
| 1996 | 1.17 million | -6.0% |
| 1997 | 1.24 million | +6.4% |
| 1998 | 1.24 million | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 1.24 million | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 1.24 million | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 1.27 million | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 1.27 million | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1.27 million | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 1.29 million | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 1.29 million | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 1.29 million | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 1.29 million | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 1.29 million | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 1.38 million | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 1.38 million | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1.38 million | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1.38 million | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.38 million | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.38 million | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1.38 million | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1.47 million | +6.5% |
| 2017 | 1.47 million | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1.47 million | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.47 million | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1.47 million | +0.0% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 1.47 million is above the median for low income countries, which is 35,000, 42.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 1.47 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 146,500, 10.0× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 939,000 | 838,000 | 1.04 million | 5 |
| 1990s | 1.19 million | 1.10 million | 1.24 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.29 million | 1.24 million | 1.38 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.42 million | 1.38 million | 1.47 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.47 million | 1.47 million | 1.47 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More public sector data for North Korea
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (1972)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (1972)
- Democracy 1 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 0 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in North Korea?
- Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in North Korea was 1.47 million in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 1.47 million in 2016.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 838,000 in 1985.
- How does North Korea rank for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled?
- North Korea ranks 3rd out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Armed forces personnel, total with 597 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.
Computed from
- Armed forces personnel, total The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Armed forces personnel, total with 597 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.