North Korea vs Vietnam
North Korea vs Vietnam: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 1.47 million people in North Korea and 522,000 people in Vietnam, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in North Korea, by 947,000 people, or 2.81 times that in Vietnam.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- North Korea has been higher since 1990, when it overtook Vietnam.
- In 2020, North Korea ranked 3 and Vietnam ranked 12 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 | Vietnam | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.47 million | 522,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 1.47 million | 522,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 1.47 million | 522,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 1.47 million | 522,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 1.47 million | 522,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 1.38 million | 522,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 1.38 million | 522,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 1.38 million | 522,000 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 1.38 million | 522,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 1.38 million | 522,000 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 1.38 million | 522,000 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 1.38 million | 495,000 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 1.3 million | 495,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 1.3 million | 495,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 1.3 million | 495,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 1.3 million | 495,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 1.3 million | – | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 1.27 million | 524,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 1.27 million | 524,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 1.27 million | 524,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 1.24 million | 524,000 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 1.24 million | 524,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 1.24 million | 524,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 1.24 million | 557,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 1.17 million | 622,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 1.24 million | 622,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 1.1 million | 700,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 1.1 million | 857,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 1.2 million | 857,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 1.2 million | 1.04 million | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 1.2 million | 1.05 million | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 1.04 million | 1.25 million | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 838,000 | 1.03 million | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 784,000 | 1.23 million | – |
| 1983 | 784,000 | 1.03 million | – |
| 1982 | 782,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1981 | 768,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1980 | 700,000 | 900,000 | – |
| 1979 | 692,000 | 650,000 | – |
| 1978 | 632,000 | 660,000 | – |
| 1977 | 520,000 | 615,000 | – |
| 1976 | 500,000 | 637,000 | – |
| 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 | – | – |
- 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 Vietnam
Health
- Life expectancyNorth Korea: 73.6 years in 2023Vietnam: 74.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNorth Korea: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024Vietnam: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNorth Korea: 14.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Vietnam: 15.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterNorth Korea: 66.5% in 2022Vietnam: 57.8% in 2022
- DepressionNorth Korea: 3.09% in 2017Vietnam: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateNorth Korea: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Vietnam: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNorth Korea: 26.4 million people in 2023Vietnam: 100 million people in 2023
- Population growthNorth Korea: 0.32% a year in 2023Vietnam: 0.64% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNorth Korea: 1.78 births per woman in 2023Vietnam: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNorth Korea: 64.2% in 2025Vietnam: 38.8% in 2025
- Median ageNorth Korea: 36.1 years in 2023Vietnam: 32.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNorth Korea: 12% in 2023Vietnam: 8.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateNorth Korea: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Vietnam: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending per personNorth Korea: $62 in 2018Vietnam: $104 in 2025
- National powerNorth Korea: 1.41% of world capability in 2022Vietnam: 1.11% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNorth Korea: 8.62% of the labour force in 2020Vietnam: 0.95% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNorth Korea: 1 million TIV in 2010Vietnam: 177 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsNorth Korea: 44 million TIV in 2025Vietnam: 10 million TIV in 2018