Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in North Korea

North Korea: Armed forces personnel, total, per capita was 0.0562 units per person in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
0.0562 units per person
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
2nd
of 173 countries
All-time high
0.0572 units per person
in 2016
All-time low
0.0427 units per person
in 1985
Years of data
33
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in North Korea, 1985–2020

00.020.040.061985200220201985: 0.043 units per person1989: 0.05 units per person1990: 0.057 units per person1991: 0.056 units per person1992: 0.055 units per person1993: 0.05 units per person1994: 0.049 units per person1995: 0.055 units per person1996: 0.051 units per person1997: 0.054 units per person1998: 0.053 units per person1999: 0.053 units per person2000: 0.053 units per person2001: 0.053 units per person2002: 0.053 units per person2003: 0.053 units per person2004: 0.053 units per person2005: 0.053 units per person2006: 0.053 units per person2007: 0.053 units per person2008: 0.052 units per person2009: 0.055 units per person2010: 0.055 units per person2011: 0.055 units per person2012: 0.055 units per person2013: 0.054 units per person2014: 0.054 units per person2015: 0.054 units per person2016: 0.057 units per person2017: 0.057 units per person2018: 0.057 units per person2019: 0.056 units per person2020: 0.056 units per person

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per person.

Analysis

North Korea recorded 0.0562 units per person for armed forces personnel, total, per capita in 2020.

That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and up 1.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, per capita in North Korea peaked at 0.0572 units per person in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0.0427 units per person, in 1985.

North Korea ranks 2nd of 173 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.

Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in North Korea, year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in North Korea, 1985 to 2020.
Year units per person Change
1985 0.0427 units per person
1989 0.05 units per person +17.0%
1990 0.0568 units per person +13.7%
1991 0.056 units per person -1.5%
1992 0.0552 units per person -1.5%
1993 0.0498 units per person -9.7%
1994 0.0491 units per person -1.4%
1995 0.0548 units per person +11.6%
1996 0.0511 units per person -6.9%
1997 0.0538 units per person +5.4%
1998 0.0534 units per person -0.9%
1999 0.0529 units per person -0.8%
2000 0.0526 units per person -0.7%
2001 0.0534 units per person +1.5%
2002 0.0531 units per person -0.5%
2003 0.0528 units per person -0.6%
2004 0.0534 units per person +1.2%
2005 0.0531 units per person -0.6%
2006 0.0528 units per person -0.5%
2007 0.0525 units per person -0.5%
2008 0.0523 units per person -0.5%
2009 0.0554 units per person +6.0%
2010 0.0552 units per person -0.4%
2011 0.0549 units per person -0.4%
2012 0.0547 units per person -0.5%
2013 0.0544 units per person -0.5%
2014 0.0542 units per person -0.5%
2015 0.0539 units per person -0.5%
2016 0.0572 units per person +6.0%
2017 0.0569 units per person -0.5%
2018 0.0567 units per person -0.4%
2019 0.0564 units per person -0.4%
2020 0.0562 units per person -0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.0464 units per person 0.0427 units per person 0.05 units per person 2
1990s 0.0533 units per person 0.0491 units per person 0.0568 units per person 10
2000s 0.0531 units per person 0.0523 units per person 0.0554 units per person 10
2010s 0.0555 units per person 0.0539 units per person 0.0572 units per person 10
2020s 0.0562 units per person 0.0562 units per person 0.0562 units per person 1

Countries ranked near North Korea

  1. 1 Eritrea 0.0614 units per person compare
  2. 3 Israel 0.0193 units per person compare
  3. 4 Montenegro 0.0192 units per person compare
  4. 5 Brunei 0.0179 units per person compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for North Korea

All data for North Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total, per capita in North Korea?
Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in North Korea was 0.0562 units per person in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, per capita recorded in North Korea?
The highest recorded value was 0.0572 units per person in 2016.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, per capita recorded in North Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0427 units per person in 1985.
How does North Korea rank for armed forces personnel, total, per capita?
North Korea ranks 2nd out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total, per capita rising or falling in North Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. 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, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in North Korea. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel-total-per-capita/korea-dem-people-s-rep/

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How this figure is calculated

Armed forces personnel, total divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.

Armed forces personnel, total ÷ Population, total

Computed from

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

Indicator
Armed forces personnel, total, per capita
Unit
units per person
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
219 places, 6,823 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

Armed forces personnel, total divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.