Japan vs North Korea
Japan vs North Korea: Military spending per person
Military spending per person: $504 in Japan in 2025 and $62 in North Korea in 2018, by SIPRI estimates. In 2018 the value was higher in Japan, by $320, or 6.16 times that in North Korea.
US dollars per person · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Japan has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2015.
Every year
US dollars per person · SIPRI
| Year | Japan | North Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $504 | – |
| 2024 | $437 | – |
| 2023 | $386 | – |
| 2022 | $344 | – |
| 2021 | $425 | – |
| 2020 | $406 | – |
| 2019 | $400 | – |
| 2018 | $382 | $62 |
| 2017 | $354 | $37 |
| 2016 | $366 | $36 |
| 2015 | $331 | $34 |
| 2014 | $368 | – |
| 2013 | $384 | – |
| 2012 | $469 | – |
| 2011 | $474 | – |
| 2010 | $426 | – |
| 2009 | $402 | – |
| 2008 | $362 | – |
| 2007 | $317 | – |
| 2006 | $325 | – |
| 2005 | $346 | – |
| 2004 | $355 | – |
| 2003 | $333 | – |
| 2002 | $309 | – |
| 2001 | $321 | – |
| 2000 | $359 | – |
| 1999 | $340 | – |
| 1998 | $299 | – |
| 1997 | $322 | – |
| 1996 | $350 | – |
| 1995 | $398 | – |
| 1994 | $362 | – |
| 1993 | $332 | – |
| 1992 | $290 | – |
| 1991 | $265 | – |
| 1990 | $234 | – |
| 1989 | $228 | – |
| 1988 | $231 | – |
- Highly uncertain
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence for each person living there, in US dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Marked points are SIPRI’s own: a dot where it gives the figure as its estimate, a ring where it calls the figure highly uncertain.
- Ranks count the 151 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Japan vs North Korea
Health
- Life expectancyJapan: 84.7 years in 2023North Korea: 73.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityJapan: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024North Korea: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityJapan: 1.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023North Korea: 14.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterJapan: 98.7% in 2022North Korea: 66.5% in 2022
- DepressionJapan: 3.34% in 2017North Korea: 3.09% in 2017
- Suicide rateJapan: 15.7 per 100,000 people in 2017North Korea: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationJapan: 124 million people in 2023North Korea: 26.4 million people in 2023
- Population growthJapan: -0.48% a year in 2023North Korea: 0.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateJapan: 1.21 births per woman in 2023North Korea: 1.78 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationJapan: 92.3% in 2025North Korea: 64.2% in 2025
- Median ageJapan: 49 years in 2023North Korea: 36.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overJapan: 29.6% in 2023North Korea: 12% in 2023
- Net migration rateJapan: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023North Korea: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Armed forces personnelJapan: 261,000 people in 2020North Korea: 1.47 million people in 2020
- National powerJapan: 2.47% of world capability in 2022North Korea: 1.41% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersJapan: 0.38% of the labour force in 2020North Korea: 8.62% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsJapan: 1.72 billion TIV in 2025North Korea: 1 million TIV in 2010
- Arms exportsJapan: 28 million TIV in 2025North Korea: 44 million TIV in 2025