Japan vs South Korea
Japan vs South Korea: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 261,000 people in Japan and 569,000 people in South Korea, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in South Korea, by 308,000 people, or 2.18 times that in Japan.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, Japan ranked 27 and South Korea ranked 11 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Japan | South Korea | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 261,000 | 569,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 261,000 | 613,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 261,200 | 608,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 261,000 | 634,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 260,900 | 634,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 259,800 | 634,500 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 259,800 | 632,500 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 259,800 | 659,500 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 259,800 | 659,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 260,100 | 659,500 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 260,400 | 659,500 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 260,400 | 659,500 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 242,000 | 692,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 242,000 | 692,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 252,000 | 692,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 272,000 | 693,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 251,000 | 696,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 252,100 | 690,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 252,100 | 690,500 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 252,100 | 687,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 248,700 | 687,500 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 254,600 | 676,500 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 254,600 | 676,500 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 247,600 | 676,500 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 247,500 | 668,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 251,500 | 641,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 233,000 | 750,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 242,000 | 750,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 242,000 | 750,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 250,000 | 750,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 250,000 | 650,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 247,000 | 647,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 243,000 | 598,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 241,000 | 602,000 | – |
| 1983 | 241,000 | 602,000 | – |
| 1982 | 243,000 | 601,000 | – |
| 1981 | 241,000 | 606,000 | – |
| 1980 | 242,000 | 600,000 | – |
| 1979 | 239,000 | 638,000 | – |
| 1978 | 239,000 | 600,000 | – |
| 1977 | 236,000 | 600,000 | – |
| 1976 | 236,000 | 610,000 | – |
| 1975 | 237,000 | 630,000 | – |
| 1974 | 237,000 | 634,000 | – |
| 1973 | 233,000 | 634,000 | – |
| 1972 | 233,000 | 635,000 | – |
| 1971 | 234,000 | 638,000 | – |
| 1970 | 236,000 | 645,000 | – |
| 1969 | 236,000 | 620,000 | – |
| 1968 | 235,000 | 620,000 | – |
| 1967 | 231,000 | 612,000 | – |
| 1966 | 227,000 | 572,000 | – |
| 1965 | 246,000 | 604,000 | – |
| 1964 | 244,000 | 600,000 | – |
| 1963 | 243,000 | 627,000 | – |
| 1962 | 235,000 | 570,000 | – |
| 1961 | 230,000 | 570,000 | – |
| 1960 | 263,000 | 650,000 | – |
| 1959 | 255,000 | 650,000 | – |
| 1958 | 243,000 | 650,000 | – |
| 1957 | 224,000 | 650,000 | – |
| 1956 | 215,000 | 650,000 | – |
| 1955 | 196,000 | 730,000 | – |
| 1954 | 165,000 | 630,000 | – |
| 1953 | 123,000 | 504,000 | – |
| 1952 | 119,000 | 335,000 | – |
| 1951 | – | 196,000 | – |
| 1950 | – | 109,000 | – |
| 1949 | – | 69,000 | – |
| 1945 | 6.1 million | – | – |
| 1944 | 4.33 million | – | – |
| 1943 | 3.08 million | – | – |
| 1942 | 3.08 million | – | – |
| 1941 | 3.08 million | – | – |
| 1940 | 957,000 | – | – |
| 1939 | 957,000 | – | – |
| 1938 | 370,000 | – | – |
| 1937 | 393,000 | – | – |
| 1936 | 416,000 | – | – |
| 1935 | 410,000 | – | – |
| 1934 | 399,000 | – | – |
| 1933 | 371,000 | – | – |
| 1932 | 370,000 | – | – |
| 1931 | 292,000 | – | – |
| 1930 | 293,000 | – | – |
| 1929 | 296,000 | – | – |
| 1928 | 285,000 | – | – |
| 1927 | 274,000 | – | – |
| 1926 | 302,000 | – | – |
| 1925 | 306,000 | – | – |
| 1924 | 306,000 | – | – |
| 1923 | 306,000 | – | – |
| 1922 | 306,000 | – | – |
| 1921 | 306,000 | – | – |
| 1920 | 306,000 | – | – |
| 1919 | 306,000 | – | – |
| 1918 | 660,000 | – | – |
| 1917 | 660,000 | – | – |
| 1916 | 650,000 | – | – |
| 1915 | 650,000 | – | – |
| 1914 | 300,000 | – | – |
| 1913 | 296,000 | – | – |
| 1912 | 275,000 | – | – |
| 1911 | 274,000 | – | – |
| 1910 | 283,000 | – | – |
| 1909 | 273,000 | – | – |
| 1908 | 273,000 | – | – |
| 1907 | 262,000 | – | – |
| 1906 | 266,000 | – | – |
| 1905 | 250,000 | – | – |
| 1904 | 218,000 | – | – |
| 1903 | 214,000 | – | – |
| 1902 | 209,000 | – | – |
| 1901 | 206,000 | – | – |
| 1900 | 182,000 | – | – |
| 1899 | 147,000 | – | – |
| 1898 | 156,000 | – | – |
| 1897 | 132,000 | – | – |
| 1896 | 103,000 | – | – |
| 1895 | 207,000 | – | – |
| 1894 | 83,000 | – | – |
| 1893 | 71,000 | – | – |
| 1892 | 79,000 | – | – |
| 1891 | 89,000 | – | – |
| 1890 | 71,000 | – | – |
| 1889 | 69,000 | – | – |
| 1888 | 62,000 | – | – |
| 1887 | 62,000 | – | – |
| 1886 | 56,000 | – | – |
| 1885 | 52,000 | – | – |
| 1884 | 48,000 | – | – |
| 1883 | 48,000 | – | – |
| 1882 | 47,000 | – | – |
| 1881 | 46,000 | – | – |
| 1880 | 45,000 | – | – |
| 1879 | 44,000 | – | – |
| 1878 | 43,000 | – | – |
| 1877 | 38,000 | – | – |
| 1876 | 37,000 | – | – |
| 1875 | 41,000 | – | – |
| 1874 | 41,000 | – | – |
| 1873 | 40,000 | – | – |
| 1872 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1871 | 17,000 | – | – |
| 1870 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1869 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1868 | 0 | – | – |
| 1867 | 0 | – | – |
| 1866 | 0 | – | – |
| 1865 | 0 | – | – |
| 1864 | 0 | – | – |
| 1863 | 0 | – | – |
| 1862 | 12,000 | – | – |
| 1861 | 12,000 | – | – |
| 1860 | 12,000 | – | – |
- 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
Japan vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyJapan: 84.7 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityJapan: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityJapan: 1.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterJapan: 98.7% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionJapan: 3.34% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateJapan: 15.7 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationJapan: 124 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthJapan: -0.48% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateJapan: 1.21 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationJapan: 92.3% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageJapan: 49 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overJapan: 29.6% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateJapan: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingJapan: 1.41% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsJapan: $59.5B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personJapan: $504 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingJapan: 3.8% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- National powerJapan: 2.47% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersJapan: 0.38% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsJapan: 1.72 billion TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsJapan: 28 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025