Armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre in South Korea
South Korea: Armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre was 5.83 units per square kilometre in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre in South Korea, 1985–2020
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 5.83 units per square kilometre for armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.2% on the previous year and down 14.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre in South Korea peaked at 7.78 units per square kilometre in 1991 and was at its lowest, 5.83 units per square kilometre, in 2020.
That places South Korea 7th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre in South Korea, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 6.2 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1989 | 6.71 units per square kilometre | +8.2% |
| 1990 | 6.74 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 7.78 units per square kilometre | +15.4% |
| 1992 | 7.78 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 7.78 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 7.78 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 6.65 units per square kilometre | -14.5% |
| 1996 | 6.93 units per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 1997 | 7.01 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 7.01 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 7.01 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 7.13 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 7.11 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 7.13 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 7.13 units per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 7.19 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 7.16 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 7.14 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 7.14 units per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 7.13 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 6.79 units per square kilometre | -4.8% |
| 2010 | 6.78 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 6.79 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 6.78 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 6.77 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 6.49 units per square kilometre | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 6.51 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 6.5 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 6.5 units per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 6.23 units per square kilometre | -4.1% |
| 2019 | 6.28 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 5.83 units per square kilometre | -7.2% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 5.83 units per square kilometre is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.3775 units per square kilometre, 15.4× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 5.83 units per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.5427 units per square kilometre, 10.7× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.45 units per square kilometre | 6.2 units per square kilometre | 6.71 units per square kilometre | 2 |
| 1990s | 7.24 units per square kilometre | 6.65 units per square kilometre | 7.78 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.11 units per square kilometre | 6.79 units per square kilometre | 7.19 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.56 units per square kilometre | 6.23 units per square kilometre | 6.79 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.83 units per square kilometre | 5.83 units per square kilometre | 5.83 units per square kilometre | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 4 Israel 8.23 units per square kilometre compare
- 5 Lebanon 7.82 units per square kilometre compare
- 6 Malta 6.25 units per square kilometre compare
- 8 Sri Lanka 5.12 units per square kilometre compare
- 9 Barbados 2.33 units per square kilometre compare
- 10 El Salvador 2.03 units per square kilometre compare
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 square kilometre in South Korea?
- Armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre in South Korea was 5.83 units per square kilometre in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 7.78 units per square kilometre in 1991.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.83 units per square kilometre in 2020.
- How does South Korea rank for armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre?
- South Korea ranks 7th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.1%. 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 square kilometre. 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 Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Armed forces personnel, total ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Armed forces personnel, total The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
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 Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.