South Korea vs Vietnam: Military personnel
South Korea
555,000 people
in 2022
Vietnam
482,000 people
in 2022
South Korea rank
9th
Vietnam rank
11th
Military personnel over time
- South Korea
- Vietnam
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 555,000 people against 482,000 people in Vietnam, a difference of 73,000 people.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.2 times Vietnam's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 69 shared years of data; in 1954 it was South Korea ahead.
South Korea ranks 9th and Vietnam ranks 11th of 194 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 6 and Vietnam in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Vietnam | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 660,000 people | 205,000 people | 455,000 people | South Korea |
| 1960s | 604,500 people | 311,000 people | 293,500 people | South Korea |
| 1970s | 626,400 people | 603,200 people | 23,200 people | South Korea |
| 1980s | 609,200 people | 1.12 million people | 511,100 people | Vietnam |
| 1990s | 707,500 people | 757,900 people | 50,400 people | Vietnam |
| 2000s | 686,200 people | 472,400 people | 213,800 people | South Korea |
| 2010s | 647,000 people | 476,600 people | 170,400 people | South Korea |
| 2020s | 569,667 people | 482,000 people | 87,667 people | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military personnel, South Korea or Vietnam?
- South Korea, at 555,000 people against 482,000 people in Vietnam as of 2022.
- What is the difference in military personnel between South Korea and Vietnam?
- 73,000 people, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Vietnam?
- 69 years are reported by both, from 1954 to 2022.
- How do South Korea and Vietnam rank globally for military personnel?
- South Korea ranks 9th and Vietnam ranks 11th 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.