China vs North Korea: Armed forces personnel
China
2.54 million
in 2020
North Korea
1.47 million
in 2020
China rank
2nd
North Korea rank
3rd
Armed forces personnel over time
- China
- North Korea
How they compare
China currently reports 2.54 million against 1.47 million in North Korea, a difference of 1.07 million.
That makes China's figure about 1.7 times North Korea's.
Across all 33 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and North Korea ranks 3rd of 173 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | North Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.90 million | 939,000 | 2.96 million | China |
| 1990s | 3.54 million | 1.19 million | 2.34 million | China |
| 2000s | 3.51 million | 1.29 million | 2.22 million | China |
| 2010s | 2.83 million | 1.42 million | 1.42 million | China |
| 2020s | 2.54 million | 1.47 million | 1.07 million | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, China or North Korea?
- China, at 2.54 million against 1.47 million in North Korea as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between China and North Korea?
- 1.07 million, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and North Korea?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do China and North Korea rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- China ranks 2nd and North Korea ranks 3rd of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel. 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.