South Korea vs Singapore: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population
South Korea
1.1%
in 2020
Singapore
1.0%
in 2020
South Korea rank
18th
Singapore rank
21st
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population over time
- South Korea
- Singapore
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 1.1% against 1.0% in Singapore, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Singapore ahead.
South Korea ranks 18th and Singapore ranks 21st of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 1 and Singapore in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Singapore | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.5% | 2.0% | 0.5% | Singapore |
| 1990s | 1.5% | 2.6% | 1.1% | Singapore |
| 2000s | 1.4% | 3.8% | 2.3% | Singapore |
| 2010s | 1.3% | 2.3% | 1.0% | Singapore |
| 2020s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 0.0% | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel as a share of total population, South Korea or Singapore?
- South Korea, at 1.1% against 1.0% in Singapore as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel as a share of total population between South Korea and Singapore?
- 0.1%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Singapore?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do South Korea and Singapore rank globally for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- South Korea ranks 18th and Singapore ranks 21st 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
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.