North Korea vs Papua New Guinea
North Korea vs Papua New Guinea: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 1.47 million people in North Korea and 4,000 people in Papua New Guinea, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in North Korea, by 1.47 million people, or 370 times that in Papua New Guinea.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- North Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | North Korea | Papua New Guinea | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.47 million | 4,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 1.47 million | 4,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 1.47 million | 3,600 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 1.47 million | 4,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 1.47 million | 3,600 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 1.38 million | 1,900 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 1.38 million | 1,900 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 1.38 million | 1,900 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 1.38 million | 1,900 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 1.38 million | 3,100 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 1.38 million | 3,100 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 1.38 million | 3,100 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 1.3 million | 3,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 1.3 million | 3,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 1.3 million | 3,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 1.3 million | 3,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 1.3 million | 3,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 1.27 million | 3,100 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 1.27 million | 3,100 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 1.27 million | 4,400 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 1.24 million | 4,400 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 1.24 million | 4,300 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 1.24 million | 4,300 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 1.24 million | 4,300 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 1.17 million | 3,700 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 1.24 million | 3,800 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 1.1 million | 4,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 1.1 million | – | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 1.2 million | 4,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 1.2 million | 4,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 1.2 million | 4,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 1.04 million | 3,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 838,000 | 3,200 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 784,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1983 | 784,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1982 | 782,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1981 | 768,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1980 | 700,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1979 | 692,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1978 | 632,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1977 | 520,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1976 | 500,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1975 | 470,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1974 | 470,000 | – | – |
| 1973 | 470,000 | – | – |
| 1972 | 460,000 | – | – |
| 1971 | 450,000 | – | – |
| 1970 | 438,000 | – | – |
| 1969 | 410,000 | – | – |
| 1968 | 410,000 | – | – |
| 1967 | 383,000 | – | – |
| 1966 | 383,000 | – | – |
| 1965 | 378,000 | – | – |
| 1964 | 362,000 | – | – |
| 1963 | 352,000 | – | – |
| 1962 | 380,000 | – | – |
| 1961 | 390,000 | – | – |
| 1960 | 400,000 | – | – |
| 1959 | 380,000 | – | – |
| 1958 | 360,000 | – | – |
| 1957 | 340,000 | – | – |
| 1956 | 320,000 | – | – |
| 1955 | 300,000 | – | – |
| 1954 | 280,000 | – | – |
| 1953 | 260,000 | – | – |
| 1952 | 211,000 | – | – |
| 1951 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1950 | 120,000 | – | – |
| 1949 | 60,000 | – | – |
| 1948 | 200,000 | – | – |
- 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
North Korea vs Papua New Guinea
Health
- Life expectancyNorth Korea: 73.6 years in 2023Papua New Guinea: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNorth Korea: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024Papua New Guinea: 3.9 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNorth Korea: 14.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Papua New Guinea: 32.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionNorth Korea: 3.09% in 2017Papua New Guinea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateNorth Korea: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Papua New Guinea: 23.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNorth Korea: 26.4 million people in 2023Papua New Guinea: 10.4 million people in 2023
- Population growthNorth Korea: 0.32% a year in 2023Papua New Guinea: 1.8% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNorth Korea: 1.78 births per woman in 2023Papua New Guinea: 3.1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNorth Korea: 64.2% in 2025Papua New Guinea: 15.8% in 2025
- Median ageNorth Korea: 36.1 years in 2023Papua New Guinea: 22.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNorth Korea: 12% in 2023Papua New Guinea: 3.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateNorth Korea: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Papua New Guinea: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending per personNorth Korea: $62 in 2018Papua New Guinea: $10 in 2025
- National powerNorth Korea: 1.41% of world capability in 2022Papua New Guinea: 0.03% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNorth Korea: 8.62% of the labour force in 2020Papua New Guinea: 0.12% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNorth Korea: 1 million TIV in 2010Papua New Guinea: 9 million TIV in 2023