Armed forces personnel since 1816 in North Korea in 2022 — 1,280,000 people. Ranked 4 in the world out of 189. Since 1948, the indicator has risen by 540%.
1948–2022 · people
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: North Korea
| Year | people | Change | Change, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1.28M | +0 | +0% |
| 2021 | 1.28M | +0 | +0% |
| 2020 | 1.28M | +0 | +0% |
| 2019 | 1.28M | +0 | +0% |
| 2018 | 1.28M | +90,000 | +7.56% |
| 2017 | 1.19M | +0 | +0% |
| 2016 | 1.19M | +0 | +0% |
| 2015 | 1.19M | +0 | +0% |
| 2014 | 1.19M | +0 | +0% |
| 2013 | 1.19M | +0 | +0% |
| 2012 | 1.19M | +0 | +0% |
| 2011 | 1.19M | +84,000 | +7.59% |
| 2010 | 1.11M | +0 | +0% |
| 2009 | 1.11M | +0 | +0% |
| 2008 | 1.11M | +0 | +0% |
| 2007 | 1.11M | +0 | +0% |
| 2006 | 1.11M | +0 | +0% |
| 2005 | 1.11M | +12,000 | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 1.09M | +12,000 | +1.11% |
| 2003 | 1.08M | +0 | +0% |
| 2002 | 1.08M | +0 | +0% |
| 2001 | 1.08M | +27,000 | +2.56% |
| 2000 | 1.06M | +55,000 | +5.5% |
| 1999 | 1M | +0 | +0% |
| 1998 | 1M | −100,000 | −9.09% |
| 1997 | 1.1M | +0 | +0% |
| 1996 | 1.1M | +0 | +0% |
| 1995 | 1.1M | +0 | +0% |
| 1994 | 1.1M | +0 | +0% |
| 1993 | 1.1M | −100,000 | −8.33% |
| 1992 | 1.2M | +0 | +0% |
| 1991 | 1.2M | +0 | +0% |
| 1990 | 1.2M | +160,000 | +15.38% |
| 1989 | 1.04M | +198,000 | +23.52% |
| 1988 | 842,000 | +4,000 | +0.48% |
| 1987 | 838,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1986 | 838,000 | +54,000 | +6.89% |
| 1985 | 784,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1984 | 784,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1983 | 784,000 | +2,000 | +0.26% |
| 1982 | 782,000 | +14,000 | +1.82% |
| 1981 | 768,000 | +68,000 | +9.71% |
| 1980 | 700,000 | +8,000 | +1.16% |
| 1979 | 692,000 | +60,000 | +9.49% |
| 1978 | 632,000 | +112,000 | +21.54% |
| 1977 | 520,000 | +20,000 | +4% |
| 1976 | 500,000 | +30,000 | +6.38% |
| 1975 | 470,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1974 | 470,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1973 | 470,000 | +10,000 | +2.17% |
| 1972 | 460,000 | +10,000 | +2.22% |
| 1971 | 450,000 | +12,000 | +2.74% |
| 1970 | 438,000 | +28,000 | +6.83% |
| 1969 | 410,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1968 | 410,000 | +27,000 | +7.05% |
| 1967 | 383,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1966 | 383,000 | +5,000 | +1.32% |
| 1965 | 378,000 | +16,000 | +4.42% |
| 1964 | 362,000 | +10,000 | +2.84% |
| 1963 | 352,000 | −28,000 | −7.37% |
| 1962 | 380,000 | −10,000 | −2.56% |
| 1961 | 390,000 | −10,000 | −2.5% |
| 1960 | 400,000 | +20,000 | +5.26% |
| 1959 | 380,000 | +20,000 | +5.56% |
| 1958 | 360,000 | +20,000 | +5.88% |
| 1957 | 340,000 | +20,000 | +6.25% |
| 1956 | 320,000 | +20,000 | +6.67% |
| 1955 | 300,000 | +20,000 | +7.14% |
| 1954 | 280,000 | +20,000 | +7.69% |
| 1953 | 260,000 | +49,000 | +23.22% |
| 1952 | 211,000 | +111,000 | +111% |
| 1951 | 100,000 | −20,000 | −16.67% |
| 1950 | 120,000 | +60,000 | +100% |
| 1949 | 60,000 | −140,000 | −70% |
| 1948 | 200,000 | — | — |
The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages
The number of military personnel on active duty. The series was assembled by the Correlates of War project and continued with data of the International Institute for Strategic Studies; unlike the World Bank series, which begins in 1985, it reaches 1816 and makes military buildup over two centuries visible — including both world wars.
Important: Over two hundred years borders and the composition of countries changed, so the series before the middle of the 20th century refers to the territory of the time: comparing adjacent years is reliable, comparing 1830 with 2020 only loosely so.
Source: Military Expenditure Database (SIPRI), license SIPRI terms of use.
The number of active-duty military personnel and paramilitary forces.
Defense Armed forces as a share of the populationWhat share of a country’s population military personnel make up — a measure of how militarized a society is.
Defense Military expenditure in dollarsThe absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.
Defense Arms exportsTransfers of major conventional weapons abroad, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV).
