North Korea vs Russia
North Korea vs Russia: Arms exports
Arms exports in 2025: 44 million TIV in North Korea and 1.94 billion TIV in Russia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Russia, by 1.9 billion TIV, or 44 times that in North Korea.
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Russia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1992.
- The world as a whole: 33.5 billion TIV in 2025.
Every year
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
| Year | North Korea | Russia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 44 million | 1.94 billion | 33.5 billion |
| 2024 | 211 million | 1.99 billion | 30.7 billion |
| 2023 | 9 million | 1.51 billion | 29.5 billion |
| 2022 | – | 2.57 billion | 33.3 billion |
| 2021 | – | 2.4 billion | 27.1 billion |
| 2020 | – | 3.66 billion | 24.1 billion |
| 2019 | – | 5.37 billion | 27 billion |
| 2018 | – | 7.15 billion | 27.4 billion |
| 2017 | – | 6.4 billion | 31.3 billion |
| 2016 | – | 6.75 billion | 31.5 billion |
| 2015 | – | 5.8 billion | 28.7 billion |
| 2014 | 1 million | 5.4 billion | 27.1 billion |
| 2013 | – | 7.89 billion | 27.4 billion |
| 2012 | – | 8.34 billion | 27.9 billion |
| 2011 | – | 8.79 billion | 29.9 billion |
| 2010 | 7 million | 6.23 billion | 25.8 billion |
| 2009 | 23 million | 5.13 billion | 24.4 billion |
| 2008 | 15 million | 6 billion | 24.1 billion |
| 2007 | 15 million | 5.6 billion | 26.5 billion |
| 2006 | 15 million | 5.18 billion | 24.5 billion |
| 2005 | 15 million | 5.2 billion | 21.4 billion |
| 2004 | 42 million | 6.35 billion | 21.3 billion |
| 2003 | 129 million | 5.27 billion | 19.2 billion |
| 2002 | 150 million | 5.74 billion | 17.7 billion |
| 2001 | 53 million | 5.25 billion | 18.5 billion |
| 2000 | 40 million | 4.5 billion | 20.5 billion |
| 1999 | 42 million | 4.41 billion | 25.4 billion |
| 1998 | 59 million | 2.12 billion | 27.9 billion |
| 1997 | 35 million | 3.45 billion | 28.9 billion |
| 1996 | 35 million | 3.64 billion | 23.7 billion |
| 1995 | 33 million | 3.83 billion | 22.9 billion |
| 1994 | 21 million | 1.54 billion | 23 billion |
| 1993 | 104 million | 3.49 billion | 25.8 billion |
| 1992 | 98 million | 2.64 billion | 24.3 billion |
| 1991 | 85 million | – | 28.2 billion |
| 1990 | 6 million | – | 30.2 billion |
| 1989 | 65 million | – | 34.9 billion |
| 1988 | 179 million | – | 36.8 billion |
| 1987 | 189 million | – | 39.4 billion |
| 1986 | 53 million | – | 39 billion |
| 1985 | 154 million | – | 38.2 billion |
| 1984 | 185 million | – | 41.6 billion |
| 1983 | 231 million | – | 43.9 billion |
| 1982 | 129 million | – | 46.2 billion |
| 1981 | 27 million | – | 45.8 billion |
| 1980 | 43 million | – | 42.2 billion |
| 1979 | 20 million | – | 38.4 billion |
| 1978 | – | – | 42.4 billion |
| 1977 | – | – | 40 billion |
| 1976 | – | – | 36 billion |
| 1975 | 12 million | – | 37.2 billion |
| 1974 | 8 million | – | 36.6 billion |
| 1973 | – | – | 36.3 billion |
| 1972 | – | – | 34.5 billion |
| 1971 | – | – | 32.9 billion |
| 1970 | – | – | 25.3 billion |
| 1969 | – | – | 28.1 billion |
| 1968 | – | – | 26.1 billion |
| 1967 | – | – | 25.6 billion |
| 1966 | – | – | 25.8 billion |
| 1965 | – | – | 25.8 billion |
| 1964 | – | – | 26.7 billion |
| 1963 | – | – | 20.3 billion |
| 1962 | – | – | 17.5 billion |
| 1961 | – | – | 16.4 billion |
| 1960 | – | – | 17.6 billion |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Major weapons the country sent abroad, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV): what the arms are worth as military capability, priced by their production cost, not what was paid.
- Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, via the World Bank.
- 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
- Armed forces personnelNorth Korea: 1.47 million people in 2020Russia: 1.45 million people in 2020
- 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