Military spending in North Korea
North Korea: Military spending was 1.57 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Military spending in North Korea, 1948–2018
Source: Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2022 US$.
Analysis
In 2018, military spending in North Korea stood at 1.57 billion constant 2022 US$.
The figure is up 9.7% on the previous year and down 55.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending in North Korea peaked at 9.90 billion constant 2022 US$ in 1992 and was at its lowest, 425.17 million constant 2022 US$, in 1950.
That places North Korea 75th out of 172 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 478.45 million constant 2022 US$ | 449.25 million constant 2022 US$ | 507.65 million constant 2022 US$ | 2 |
| 1950s | 1.10 billion constant 2022 US$ | 425.17 million constant 2022 US$ | 3.72 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.56 billion constant 2022 US$ | 1.72 billion constant 2022 US$ | 3.80 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.97 billion constant 2022 US$ | 3.47 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4.60 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.86 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4.28 billion constant 2022 US$ | 9.71 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.57 billion constant 2022 US$ | 3.84 billion constant 2022 US$ | 9.90 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.98 billion constant 2022 US$ | 3.09 billion constant 2022 US$ | 6.81 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.77 billion constant 2022 US$ | 1.29 billion constant 2022 US$ | 2.61 billion constant 2022 US$ | 9 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 72 Kazakhstan 1.65 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 73 Uruguay 1.62 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 74 Croatia 1.60 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 76 Sri Lanka 1.52 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 77 Ireland 1.51 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 78 Tunisia 1.44 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
More reference data data for North Korea
- Temperature anomalies by month -2.22 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies 2.29 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.3103 °C (2026)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 0 (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.9637 °C (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 2 °C (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Democracy 1 (2025)
- Precipitation anomalies 127.56 millimeters (2025)
- Free country 0 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending in North Korea?
- Military spending in North Korea was 1.57 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2018, according to Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 9.90 billion constant 2022 US$ in 1992.
- What is the lowest military spending recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 425.17 million constant 2022 US$ in 1950.
- How does North Korea rank for military spending?
- North Korea ranks 75th out of 172 countries with data for 2018.
- Is military spending rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 55.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 71 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.