Cambodia vs South Korea: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population

Cambodia
1.1%
in 2020
South Korea
1.1%
in 2020
Cambodia rank
17th
South Korea rank
18th

Armed forces personnel as a share of total population over time

  • Cambodia
  • South Korea
123198520022020

How they compare

Cambodia currently reports 1.1% against 1.1% in South Korea, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was South Korea ahead.

Cambodia ranks 17th and South Korea ranks 18th of 173 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Cambodia averaged higher in 3 and South Korea in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Cambodia South Korea Difference Ahead
1980s 1.0% 1.5% 0.5% South Korea
1990s 2.2% 1.5% 0.6% Cambodia
2000s 1.6% 1.4% 0.1% Cambodia
2010s 1.2% 1.3% 0.0% South Korea
2020s 1.1% 1.1% 0.0% Cambodia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel as a share of total population, Cambodia or South Korea?
Cambodia, at 1.1% against 1.1% in South Korea as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel as a share of total population between Cambodia and South Korea?
0.0%, with Cambodia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Cambodia and South Korea?
33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
How do Cambodia and South Korea rank globally for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
Cambodia ranks 17th and South Korea ranks 18th of 173 countries.
Where does this data come from?
The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population
Unit
%
Source
The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
173 places, 5,352 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.