Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in South Korea
South Korea: Armed forces personnel, total, per capita was 0.011 units per person in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in South Korea, 1985–2020
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total, per capita in South Korea is 0.011 units per person, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
The figure is down 7.3% on the previous year and down 17.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, per capita in South Korea peaked at 0.0173 units per person in 1991 and was at its lowest, 0.011 units per person, in 2020.
South Korea ranks 18th of 173 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in South Korea, year by year
| Year | units per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 0.0147 units per person | — |
| 1989 | 0.0152 units per person | +4.0% |
| 1990 | 0.0152 units per person | -0.5% |
| 1991 | 0.0173 units per person | +14.2% |
| 1992 | 0.0171 units per person | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 0.017 units per person | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 0.0168 units per person | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 0.0142 units per person | -15.4% |
| 1996 | 0.0147 units per person | +3.2% |
| 1997 | 0.0147 units per person | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 0.0146 units per person | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 0.0145 units per person | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 0.0146 units per person | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 0.0145 units per person | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 0.0145 units per person | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 0.0144 units per person | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 0.0145 units per person | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 0.0144 units per person | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 0.0143 units per person | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 0.0142 units per person | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 0.0141 units per person | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 0.0134 units per person | -5.2% |
| 2010 | 0.0133 units per person | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 0.0132 units per person | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 0.0131 units per person | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 0.0131 units per person | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 0.0125 units per person | -4.7% |
| 2015 | 0.0124 units per person | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 0.0124 units per person | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 0.0123 units per person | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 0.0118 units per person | -4.5% |
| 2019 | 0.0118 units per person | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 0.011 units per person | -7.3% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 0.011 units per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.0045 units per person, 2.4× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 0.011 units per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.0048 units per person, 2.3× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.0149 units per person | 0.0147 units per person | 0.0152 units per person | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.0156 units per person | 0.0142 units per person | 0.0173 units per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0143 units per person | 0.0134 units per person | 0.0146 units per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0126 units per person | 0.0118 units per person | 0.0133 units per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.011 units per person | 0.011 units per person | 0.011 units per person | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More public sector data for South Korea
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, 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 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 222.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 19.5 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0005 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 362.84 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total, per capita in South Korea?
- Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in South Korea was 0.011 units per person in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, per capita recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0173 units per person in 1991.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, per capita recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.011 units per person in 2020.
- How does South Korea rank for armed forces personnel, total, per capita?
- South Korea ranks 18th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total, per capita rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
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
- Armed forces personnel, total The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
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 divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.