China vs North Korea
China vs North Korea: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 1.47 million people in North Korea, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 1.07 million people, or 1.73 times that in North Korea.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, China ranked 2 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 | China | North Korea | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2.54 million | 1.47 million | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 2.54 million | 1.47 million | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 2.7 million | 1.47 million | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 2.7 million | 1.47 million | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 2.7 million | 1.47 million | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 2.84 million | 1.38 million | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 2.99 million | 1.38 million | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 2.99 million | 1.38 million | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 2.99 million | 1.38 million | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 2.95 million | 1.38 million | 28 million |
| 2010 | 2.95 million | 1.38 million | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 2.95 million | 1.38 million | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 2.89 million | 1.3 million | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 2.89 million | 1.3 million | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 3.61 million | 1.3 million | 27 million |
| 2005 | 3.76 million | 1.3 million | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 3.76 million | 1.3 million | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 3.75 million | 1.27 million | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 3.77 million | 1.27 million | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 3.81 million | 1.27 million | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 3.91 million | 1.24 million | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 3.82 million | 1.24 million | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 3.82 million | 1.24 million | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 3.64 million | 1.24 million | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 4.14 million | 1.17 million | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 4.13 million | 1.24 million | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 2.93 million | 1.1 million | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 3.03 million | 1.1 million | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 3.16 million | 1.2 million | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 3.2 million | 1.2 million | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 3.5 million | 1.2 million | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 3.9 million | 1.04 million | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 3.9 million | 838,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 4.1 million | 784,000 | – |
| 1983 | 4.1 million | 784,000 | – |
| 1982 | 4.35 million | 782,000 | – |
| 1981 | 4.75 million | 768,000 | – |
| 1980 | 4.65 million | 700,000 | – |
| 1979 | 4.6 million | 692,000 | – |
| 1978 | 4.5 million | 632,000 | – |
| 1977 | 4.3 million | 520,000 | – |
| 1976 | 4.3 million | 500,000 | – |
| 1975 | 4.3 million | 470,000 | – |
| 1974 | 4.3 million | 470,000 | – |
| 1973 | 3.25 million | 470,000 | – |
| 1972 | 3.04 million | 460,000 | – |
| 1971 | 2.97 million | 450,000 | – |
| 1970 | 2.85 million | 438,000 | – |
| 1969 | 2.83 million | 410,000 | – |
| 1968 | 2.8 million | 410,000 | – |
| 1967 | 2.71 million | 383,000 | – |
| 1966 | 2.6 million | 383,000 | – |
| 1965 | 2.4 million | 378,000 | – |
| 1964 | 2.75 million | 362,000 | – |
| 1963 | 2.5 million | 352,000 | – |
| 1962 | 2.3 million | 380,000 | – |
| 1961 | 2.2 million | 390,000 | – |
| 1960 | 3.23 million | 400,000 | – |
| 1959 | 3.21 million | 380,000 | – |
| 1958 | 3.18 million | 360,000 | – |
| 1957 | 3.16 million | 340,000 | – |
| 1956 | 3.13 million | 320,000 | – |
| 1955 | 3 million | 300,000 | – |
| 1954 | 3.08 million | 280,000 | – |
| 1953 | 3.05 million | 260,000 | – |
| 1952 | 3.03 million | 211,000 | – |
| 1951 | 3 million | 100,000 | – |
| 1950 | 4 million | 120,000 | – |
| 1949 | 2.57 million | 60,000 | – |
| 1948 | 3.69 million | 200,000 | – |
| 1947 | 4.02 million | – | – |
| 1946 | 4.16 million | – | – |
| 1945 | 4.78 million | – | – |
| 1944 | 4.23 million | – | – |
| 1943 | 3.68 million | – | – |
| 1942 | 3.13 million | – | – |
| 1941 | 2.58 million | – | – |
| 1940 | 2.04 million | – | – |
| 1939 | 1.49 million | – | – |
| 1938 | 900,000 | – | – |
| 1937 | 2 million | – | – |
| 1936 | 1.7 million | – | – |
| 1935 | 1.7 million | – | – |
| 1934 | 1.7 million | – | – |
| 1933 | 1.7 million | – | – |
| 1932 | 1.7 million | – | – |
| 1931 | 1.7 million | – | – |
| 1930 | 1.7 million | – | – |
| 1929 | 1.7 million | – | – |
| 1928 | 1.7 million | – | – |
| 1927 | 1.7 million | – | – |
| 1926 | 1.7 million | – | – |
| 1925 | 1.7 million | – | – |
| 1924 | 1.7 million | – | – |
| 1923 | 1.63 million | – | – |
| 1922 | 1.57 million | – | – |
| 1921 | 1.5 million | – | – |
| 1920 | 1.44 million | – | – |
| 1919 | 1.38 million | – | – |
| 1918 | 1.3 million | – | – |
| 1917 | 900,000 | – | – |
| 1916 | 850,000 | – | – |
| 1915 | 500,000 | – | – |
| 1914 | 460,000 | – | – |
| 1913 | 450,000 | – | – |
| 1912 | 450,000 | – | – |
| 1911 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1910 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1909 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1908 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1907 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1906 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1905 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1904 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1903 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1902 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1901 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1900 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1899 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1898 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1897 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1896 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1895 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1894 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1893 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1892 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1891 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1890 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1889 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1888 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1887 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1886 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1885 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1884 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1883 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1882 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1881 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1880 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1879 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1878 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1877 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1876 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1875 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1874 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1873 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1872 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1871 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1870 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1869 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1868 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1867 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1866 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1865 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1864 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1863 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1862 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1861 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1860 | 1 million | – | – |
- 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
China vs North Korea
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023North Korea: 73.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024North Korea: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023North Korea: 14.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017North Korea: 3.09% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017North Korea: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023North Korea: 26.4 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023North Korea: 0.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023North Korea: 1.78 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025North Korea: 64.2% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023North Korea: 36.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023North Korea: 12% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023North Korea: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025North Korea: $62 in 2018
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022North Korea: 1.41% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020North Korea: 8.62% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025North Korea: 1 million TIV in 2010
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025North Korea: 44 million TIV in 2025