Australia vs North Korea
Australia vs North Korea: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 60,000 people in Australia and 1.47 million people in North Korea, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in North Korea, by 1.41 million people, or 24 times that in Australia.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- North Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, Australia ranked 64 and North Korea ranked 3 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Australia | North Korea | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 60,000 | 1.47 million | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 59,000 | 1.47 million | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 58,100 | 1.47 million | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 58,000 | 1.47 million | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 57,800 | 1.47 million | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 57,800 | 1.38 million | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 56,750 | 1.38 million | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 56,750 | 1.38 million | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 56,200 | 1.38 million | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 57,050 | 1.38 million | 28 million |
| 2010 | 56,550 | 1.38 million | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 56,550 | 1.38 million | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 55,000 | 1.3 million | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 55,000 | 1.3 million | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 51,000 | 1.3 million | 27 million |
| 2005 | 53,000 | 1.3 million | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 52,000 | 1.3 million | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 53,600 | 1.27 million | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 50,900 | 1.27 million | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 51,700 | 1.27 million | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 51,600 | 1.24 million | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 56,200 | 1.24 million | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 58,400 | 1.24 million | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 58,400 | 1.24 million | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 58,800 | 1.17 million | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 57,100 | 1.24 million | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 65,000 | 1.1 million | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 68,000 | 1.1 million | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 68,000 | 1.2 million | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 68,000 | 1.2 million | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 68,000 | 1.2 million | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 70,000 | 1.04 million | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 70,400 | 838,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 71,000 | 784,000 | – |
| 1983 | 73,000 | 784,000 | – |
| 1982 | 73,000 | 782,000 | – |
| 1981 | 72,000 | 768,000 | – |
| 1980 | 71,000 | 700,000 | – |
| 1979 | 70,000 | 692,000 | – |
| 1978 | 70,000 | 632,000 | – |
| 1977 | 70,000 | 520,000 | – |
| 1976 | 71,000 | 500,000 | – |
| 1975 | 70,000 | 470,000 | – |
| 1974 | 68,000 | 470,000 | – |
| 1973 | 71,000 | 470,000 | – |
| 1972 | 86,000 | 460,000 | – |
| 1971 | 86,000 | 450,000 | – |
| 1970 | 86,000 | 438,000 | – |
| 1969 | 82,000 | 410,000 | – |
| 1968 | 80,000 | 410,000 | – |
| 1967 | 72,000 | 383,000 | – |
| 1966 | 59,000 | 383,000 | – |
| 1965 | 53,000 | 378,000 | – |
| 1964 | 53,000 | 362,000 | – |
| 1963 | 49,000 | 352,000 | – |
| 1962 | 49,000 | 380,000 | – |
| 1961 | 46,000 | 390,000 | – |
| 1960 | 47,000 | 400,000 | – |
| 1959 | 48,000 | 380,000 | – |
| 1958 | 46,000 | 360,000 | – |
| 1957 | 48,000 | 340,000 | – |
| 1956 | 52,000 | 320,000 | – |
| 1955 | 52,000 | 300,000 | – |
| 1954 | 54,000 | 280,000 | – |
| 1953 | 57,000 | 260,000 | – |
| 1952 | 32,000 | 211,000 | – |
| 1951 | 33,000 | 100,000 | – |
| 1950 | 38,000 | 120,000 | – |
| 1949 | 41,000 | 60,000 | – |
| 1948 | 61,000 | 200,000 | – |
| 1947 | 82,000 | – | – |
| 1946 | 103,000 | – | – |
| 1945 | 596,000 | – | – |
| 1944 | 680,000 | – | – |
| 1943 | 680,000 | – | – |
| 1941 | 400,000 | – | – |
| 1940 | 82,000 | – | – |
| 1939 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1938 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1937 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1936 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1935 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1934 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1933 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1932 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1931 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1930 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1929 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1928 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1927 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1926 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1925 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1924 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1923 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1922 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1921 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1920 | 6,000 | – | – |
- 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Before 1985: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 170 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Australia vs North Korea
Health
- Life expectancyAustralia: 83.9 years in 2023North Korea: 73.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityAustralia: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024North Korea: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityAustralia: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023North Korea: 14.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionAustralia: 4.62% in 2017North Korea: 3.09% in 2017
- Suicide rateAustralia: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017North Korea: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationAustralia: 26.5 million people in 2023North Korea: 26.4 million people in 2023
- Population growthAustralia: 0.99% a year in 2023North Korea: 0.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateAustralia: 1.64 births per woman in 2023North Korea: 1.78 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationAustralia: 87.7% in 2025North Korea: 64.2% in 2025
- Median ageAustralia: 37.8 years in 2023North Korea: 36.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overAustralia: 17.4% in 2023North Korea: 12% in 2023
- Net migration rateAustralia: 5.3 per 1,000 people in 2023North Korea: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending per personAustralia: $1,316 in 2025North Korea: $62 in 2018
- National powerAustralia: 0.6% of world capability in 2022North Korea: 1.41% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersAustralia: 0.44% of the labour force in 2020North Korea: 8.62% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsAustralia: 826 million TIV in 2025North Korea: 1 million TIV in 2010
- Arms exportsAustralia: 108 million TIV in 2025North Korea: 44 million TIV in 2025