South Korea vs Ukraine: Military personnel
South Korea
555,000 people
in 2022
Ukraine
688,000 people
in 2022
South Korea rank
9th
Ukraine rank
6th
Military personnel over time
- South Korea
- Ukraine
How they compare
Ukraine currently reports 688,000 people against 555,000 people in South Korea, a difference of 133,000 people.
That makes Ukraine's figure about 1.2 times South Korea's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 31 shared years of data; in 1992 it was South Korea ahead.
South Korea ranks 9th and Ukraine ranks 6th of 194 countries.
South Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Ukraine | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 709,375 people | 443,750 people | 265,625 people | South Korea |
| 2000s | 686,200 people | 227,200 people | 459,000 people | South Korea |
| 2010s | 647,000 people | 159,300 people | 487,700 people | South Korea |
| 2020s | 569,667 people | 364,333 people | 205,333 people | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military personnel, South Korea or Ukraine?
- Ukraine, at 688,000 people against 555,000 people in South Korea as of 2022.
- What is the difference in military personnel between South Korea and Ukraine?
- 133,000 people, with Ukraine ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Ukraine?
- 31 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2022.
- How do South Korea and Ukraine rank globally for military personnel?
- South Korea ranks 9th and Ukraine ranks 6th of 194 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Troops under the command of the national government, intended for use against foreign adversaries, and held ready for combat as of January 1 of the given year.