North Korea vs Russia
North Korea vs Russia: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 1.47 million people in North Korea and 1.45 million people in Russia, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in North Korea, by 15,000 people, or 1.01 times that in Russia.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- North Korea has been higher since 2016, when it overtook Russia.
- In 2020, North Korea ranked 3 and Russia ranked 4 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | North Korea | Russia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.47 million | 1.45 million | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 1.47 million | 1.45 million | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 1.47 million | 1.45 million | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 1.47 million | 1.45 million | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 1.47 million | 1.45 million | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 1.38 million | 1.49 million | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 1.38 million | 1.29 million | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 1.38 million | 1.26 million | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 1.38 million | 1.36 million | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 1.38 million | 1.36 million | 28 million |
| 2010 | 1.38 million | 1.43 million | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 1.38 million | 1.5 million | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 1.3 million | 1.48 million | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 1.3 million | 1.48 million | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 1.3 million | 1.45 million | 27 million |
| 2005 | 1.3 million | 1.45 million | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 1.3 million | 1.45 million | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 1.27 million | 1.37 million | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 1.27 million | 1.4 million | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 1.27 million | 1.39 million | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 1.24 million | 1.43 million | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 1.24 million | 1.48 million | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 1.24 million | 1.7 million | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 1.24 million | 1.82 million | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 1.17 million | 1.62 million | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 1.24 million | 1.8 million | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 1.1 million | 1.4 million | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 1.1 million | 1.5 million | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 1.2 million | 1.9 million | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 1.2 million | – | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 1.2 million | – | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 1.04 million | – | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 838,000 | – | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 784,000 | – | – |
| 1983 | 784,000 | – | – |
| 1982 | 782,000 | – | – |
| 1981 | 768,000 | – | – |
| 1980 | 700,000 | – | – |
| 1979 | 692,000 | – | – |
| 1978 | 632,000 | – | – |
| 1977 | 520,000 | – | – |
| 1976 | 500,000 | – | – |
| 1975 | 470,000 | – | – |
| 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 | – | – |
| 1922 | – | 3.6 million | – |
| 1921 | – | 5.5 million | – |
| 1920 | – | 3.05 million | – |
| 1919 | – | 1.55 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
North Korea vs Russia
Health
- Life expectancyNorth Korea: 73.6 years in 2023Russia: 73.2 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNorth Korea: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024Russia: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNorth Korea: 14.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Russia: 3.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterNorth Korea: 66.5% in 2022Russia: 76.2% in 2022
- DepressionNorth Korea: 3.09% in 2017Russia: 3.71% in 2017
- Suicide rateNorth Korea: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Russia: 25.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNorth Korea: 26.4 million people in 2023Russia: 145 million people in 2023
- Population growthNorth Korea: 0.32% a year in 2023Russia: -0.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNorth Korea: 1.78 births per woman in 2023Russia: 1.45 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNorth Korea: 64.2% in 2025Russia: 75.3% in 2025
- Median ageNorth Korea: 36.1 years in 2023Russia: 39.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNorth Korea: 12% in 2023Russia: 16.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateNorth Korea: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Russia: 0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending per personNorth Korea: $62 in 2018Russia: $1,318 in 2025
- National powerNorth Korea: 1.41% of world capability in 2022Russia: 3.82% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNorth Korea: 8.62% of the labour force in 2020Russia: 1.98% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNorth Korea: 1 million TIV in 2010Russia: 129 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsNorth Korea: 44 million TIV in 2025Russia: 1.94 billion TIV in 2025