North Korea vs Russia
North Korea vs Russia: National power
National power in 2022: 1.41% of world capability in North Korea and 3.82% of world capability in Russia, by Correlates of War estimates. In 2022 the value was higher in Russia, by 2.41 percentage points, or 2.71 times that in North Korea.
% of world capability · Correlates of War
What the numbers say
- Russia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1992.
- In 2022, North Korea ranked 12 and Russia ranked 4 of 195 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of world capability · Correlates of War
| Year | North Korea | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1.41 | 3.82 |
| 2021 | 1.49 | 3.49 |
| 2020 | 1.48 | 3.41 |
| 2019 | 1.5 | 3.46 |
| 2018 | 1.51 | 3.58 |
| 2017 | 1.42 | 3.58 |
| 2016 | 1.35 | 3.65 |
| 2015 | 1.33 | 3.68 |
| 2014 | 1.32 | 3.92 |
| 2013 | 1.32 | 3.9 |
| 2012 | 1.32 | 3.96 |
| 2011 | 1.32 | 3.98 |
| 2010 | 1.22 | 3.91 |
| 2009 | 1.24 | 3.92 |
| 2008 | 1.26 | 4.09 |
| 2007 | 1.28 | 4.1 |
| 2006 | 1.28 | 4.11 |
| 2005 | 1.27 | 4.07 |
| 2004 | 1.25 | 4.76 |
| 2003 | 1.24 | 4.97 |
| 2002 | 1.24 | 4.96 |
| 2001 | 1.1 | 5.35 |
| 2000 | 1.03 | 5.14 |
| 1999 | 0.99 | 5.14 |
| 1998 | 0.99 | 5.12 |
| 1997 | 1.06 | 5.59 |
| 1996 | 1.12 | 5.91 |
| 1995 | 1.11 | 6.29 |
| 1994 | 1.14 | 6.7 |
| 1993 | 1.28 | 5.8 |
| 1992 | 1.33 | 6.72 |
| 1991 | 1.29 | – |
| 1990 | 1.2 | – |
| 1989 | 1.13 | – |
| 1988 | 0.99 | – |
| 1987 | 0.98 | – |
| 1986 | 0.96 | – |
| 1985 | 0.92 | – |
| 1984 | 0.93 | – |
| 1983 | 0.88 | – |
| 1982 | 0.87 | – |
| 1981 | 0.83 | – |
| 1980 | 0.8 | – |
| 1979 | 0.79 | – |
| 1978 | 0.75 | – |
| 1977 | 0.69 | – |
| 1976 | 0.67 | – |
| 1975 | 0.65 | – |
| 1974 | 0.57 | – |
| 1973 | 0.57 | – |
| 1972 | 0.57 | – |
| 1971 | 0.6 | – |
| 1970 | 0.56 | – |
| 1969 | 0.53 | – |
| 1968 | 0.54 | – |
| 1967 | 0.51 | – |
| 1966 | 0.5 | – |
| 1965 | 0.53 | – |
| 1964 | 0.49 | – |
| 1963 | 0.49 | – |
| 1962 | 0.52 | – |
| 1961 | 0.53 | – |
| 1960 | 0.52 | – |
| 1959 | 0.56 | – |
| 1958 | 0.78 | – |
| 1957 | 0.48 | – |
| 1956 | 0.44 | – |
| 1955 | 0.41 | – |
| 1954 | 0.38 | – |
| 1953 | 0.36 | – |
| 1952 | 0.31 | – |
| 1951 | 0.22 | – |
| 1950 | 0.27 | – |
| 1949 | 0.25 | – |
| 1948 | 0.36 | – |
| 1922 | – | 14.44 |
| 1921 | – | 14.85 |
| 1920 | – | 10.32 |
| 1919 | – | 6.31 |
| 1918 | – | 3.74 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The Correlates of War’s Composite Index of National Capability: the country’s share of the world’s military spending, soldiers, iron and steel, energy use, people and city dwellers, averaged.
- Source: 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 195 countries with a value in 2022, highest first.
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
- 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