South Korea vs United States

South Korea vs United States: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 569,000 people in South Korea and 1.4 million people in United States, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in United States, by 826,000 people, or 2.45 times that in South Korea.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

South Korea vs United States: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 569,000 people in South Korea and 1.4 million people in United States, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in United States, by 826,000 people, or 2.45 times that in South Korea.
South KoreaUnited StatesEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
  • In 2020, South Korea ranked 11 and United States ranked 5 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.

Every year

people · IISS

YearSouth KoreaUnited StatesWorld
2020569,0001.4 million27.4 million
2019613,0001.39 million27.7 million
2018608,0001.38 million27.7 million
2017634,0001.36 million27.4 million
2016634,0001.35 million27.5 million
2015634,5001.35 million27.4 million
2014632,5001.38 million27.3 million
2013659,5001.43 million27.2 million
2012659,5001.49 million28.2 million
2011659,5001.52 million28 million
2010659,5001.57 million28.1 million
2009659,5001.56 million27.9 million
2008692,0001.54 million27.5 million
2007692,0001.56 million27.3 million
2006692,0001.5 million27 million
2005693,0001.55 million28.5 million
2004696,0001.47 million27.1 million
2003690,5001.48 million28.2 million
2002690,5001.47 million28.3 million
2001687,5001.42 million28.2 million
2000687,5001.46 million29.4 million
1999676,5001.58 million29.6 million
1998676,5001.59 million29.9 million
1997676,5001.53 million29.9 million
1996668,0001.57 million30.2 million
1995641,0001.64 million30.2 million
1994750,0001.72 million23.2 million
1993750,0001.82 million23.7 million
1992750,0001.92 million24.5 million
1991750,0002.12 million22.7 million
1990650,0002.18 million23.9 million
1989647,0002.24 million24.3 million
1985598,0002.15 million22.2 million
1984602,0002.22 million–
1983602,0002.2 million–
1982601,0002.17 million–
1981606,0002.1 million–
1980600,0002.05 million–
1979638,0002.03 million–
1978600,0002.06 million–
1977600,0002.06 million–
1976610,0002.08 million–
1975630,0002.1 million–
1974634,0002.15 million–
1973634,0002.21 million–
1972635,0002.32 million–
1971638,0002.72 million–
1970645,0003.07 million–
1969620,0003.46 million–
1968620,0003.55 million–
1967612,0003.38 million–
1966572,0003.09 million–
1965604,0002.66 million–
1964600,0002.69 million–
1963627,0002.7 million–
1962570,0002.81 million–
1961570,0002.31 million–
1960650,0002.31 million–
1959650,0002.33 million–
1958650,0002.41 million–
1957650,0002.8 million–
1956650,0002.81 million–
1955730,0002.94 million–
1954630,0003.3 million–
1953504,0003.56 million–
1952335,0003.64 million–
1951196,0003.25 million–
1950109,0001.46 million–
194969,0001.62 million–
1948–1.45 million–
1947–1.58 million–
1946–3.03 million–
1945–12.1 million–
1944–11.5 million–
1943–9.05 million–
1942–3.86 million–
1941–1.8 million–
1940–458,000–
1939–334,000–
1938–323,000–
1937–312,000–
1936–291,000–
1935–252,000–
1934–247,000–
1933–244,000–
1932–245,000–
1931–253,000–
1930–256,000–
1929–255,000–
1928–251,000–
1927–249,000–
1926–247,000–
1925–252,000–
1924–261,000–
1923–247,000–
1922–270,000–
1921–387,000–
1920–343,000–
1919–1.17 million–
1918–2.9 million–
1917–644,000–
1916–179,000–
1915–174,000–
1914–166,000–
1913–155,000–
1912–153,000–
1911–145,000–
1910–139,000–
1909–142,000–
1908–129,000–
1907–108,000–
1906–112,000–
1905–108,000–
1904–110,000–
1903–106,000–
1902–111,000–
1901–112,000–
1900–126,000–
1899–100,000–
1898–236,000–
1897–44,000–
1896–42,000–
1895–42,000–
1894–42,000–
1893–39,000–
1892–39,000–
1891–38,000–
1890–39,000–
1889–39,000–
1888–39,000–
1887–39,000–
1886–39,000–
1885–39,000–
1884–39,000–
1883–37,000–
1882–38,000–
1881–38,000–
1880–38,000–
1879–38,000–
1878–36,000–
1877–34,000–
1876–41,000–
1875–38,000–
1874–44,000–
1873–43,000–
1872–42,000–
1871–42,000–
1870–50,000–
1869–52,000–
1868–66,000–
1867–75,000–
1866–77,000–
1865–1.06 million–
1864–1.03 million–
1863–960,000–
1862–673,000–
1861–217,000–
1860–28,000–
1859–29,000–
1858–29,000–
1857–27,000–
1856–26,000–
1855–26,000–
1854–21,000–
1853–21,000–
1852–21,000–
1851–21,000–
1850–21,000–
1849–23,000–
1848–60,000–
1847–58,000–
1846–39,000–
1845–21,000–
1844–21,000–
1843–21,000–
1842–23,000–
1841–21,000–
1840–22,000–
1839–19,000–
1838–18,000–
1837–22,000–
1836–17,000–
1835–14,000–
1834–13,000–
1833–13,000–
1832–12,000–
1831–11,000–
1830–12,000–
1829–12,000–
1828–11,000–
1827–12,000–
1826–12,000–
1825–11,000–
1824–11,000–
1823–11,000–
1822–10,000–
1821–11,000–
1820–15,000–
1819–13,000–
1818–14,000–
1817–15,000–
1816–17,000–
  • 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

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