North Korea vs United States: Armed forces personnel
North Korea
1.47 million
in 2020
United States
1.40 million
in 2020
North Korea rank
3rd
United States rank
5th
Armed forces personnel over time
- North Korea
- United States
How they compare
North Korea currently reports 1.47 million against 1.40 million in United States, a difference of 74,000.
That makes North Korea's figure about 1.1 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was United States ahead.
North Korea ranks 3rd and United States ranks 5th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, North Korea averaged higher in 1 and United States in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 939,000 | 2.20 million | 1.26 million | United States |
| 1990s | 1.19 million | 1.77 million | 572,600 | United States |
| 2000s | 1.29 million | 1.50 million | 208,750 | United States |
| 2010s | 1.42 million | 1.42 million | 6,862 | United States |
| 2020s | 1.47 million | 1.40 million | 74,000 | North Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, North Korea or United States?
- North Korea, at 1.47 million against 1.40 million in United States as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between North Korea and United States?
- 74,000, with North Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and United States?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do North Korea and United States rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- North Korea ranks 3rd and United States ranks 5th of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.