China vs North Korea: Military personnel
China
2.04 million
in 2022
North Korea
1.28 million
in 2022
China rank
1st
North Korea rank
4th
Military personnel over time
- China
- North Korea
How they compare
China currently reports 2.04 million against 1.28 million in North Korea, a difference of 755,000.
That makes China's figure about 1.6 times North Korea's.
Across all 75 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and North Korea ranks 4th of 194 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 9 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | North Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 3.13 million | 130,000 | 3.00 million | China |
| 1950s | 3.18 million | 267,100 | 2.92 million | China |
| 1960s | 2.63 million | 384,800 | 2.25 million | China |
| 1970s | 3.84 million | 510,200 | 3.33 million | China |
| 1980s | 4.13 million | 816,000 | 3.31 million | China |
| 1990s | 2.90 million | 1.11 million | 1.79 million | China |
| 2000s | 2.29 million | 1.09 million | 1.20 million | China |
| 2010s | 2.24 million | 1.20 million | 1.04 million | China |
| 2020s | 2.04 million | 1.28 million | 755,000 | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military personnel, China or North Korea?
- China, at 2.04 million against 1.28 million in North Korea as of 2022.
- What is the difference in military personnel between China and North Korea?
- 755,000, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and North Korea?
- 75 years are reported by both, from 1948 to 2022.
- How do China and North Korea rank globally for military personnel?
- China ranks 1st and North Korea ranks 4th of 194 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Military personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.