North Korea vs Russia: Military personnel
North Korea
1.28 million
in 2022
Russia
1.19 million
in 2022
North Korea rank
4th
Russia rank
5th
Military personnel over time
- North Korea
- Russia
How they compare
North Korea currently reports 1.28 million against 1.19 million in Russia, a difference of 90,000.
That makes North Korea's figure about 1.1 times Russia's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 75 shared years of data; in 1948 it was Russia ahead.
North Korea ranks 4th and Russia ranks 5th of 194 countries.
Across the 9 decades both report, North Korea averaged higher in 3 and Russia in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | Russia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 130,000 | 3.25 million | 3.12 million | Russia |
| 1950s | 267,100 | 4.96 million | 4.69 million | Russia |
| 1960s | 384,800 | 3.46 million | 3.08 million | Russia |
| 1970s | 510,200 | 4.03 million | 3.52 million | Russia |
| 1980s | 816,000 | 3.88 million | 3.06 million | Russia |
| 1990s | 1.11 million | 1.71 million | 600,000 | Russia |
| 2000s | 1.09 million | 1.01 million | 85,100 | North Korea |
| 2010s | 1.20 million | 891,900 | 307,700 | North Korea |
| 2020s | 1.28 million | 996,667 | 283,333 | North Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military personnel, North Korea or Russia?
- North Korea, at 1.28 million against 1.19 million in Russia as of 2022.
- What is the difference in military personnel between North Korea and Russia?
- 90,000, with North Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and Russia?
- 75 years are reported by both, from 1948 to 2022.
- How do North Korea and Russia rank globally for military personnel?
- North Korea ranks 4th and Russia ranks 5th 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.