Armed forces personnel, total in South Korea
South Korea: Armed forces personnel, total was 569,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total in South Korea, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 569,000 for armed forces personnel, total in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
The figure is down 7.2% on the previous year and down 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in South Korea peaked at 750,000 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 569,000, in 2020.
South Korea ranks 11th of 173 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 622,500 | 598,000 | 647,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 698,850 | 641,000 | 750,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 688,050 | 659,500 | 696,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 639,400 | 608,000 | 659,500 | 10 |
| 2020s | 569,000 | 569,000 | 569,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More public sector data for South Korea
- Arms imports 1.01 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Tax revenue 13.3% (2024)
- Taxes on income, profits and capital gains 27.5% (2024)
- Taxes on goods and services 17.0% (2024)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets 1.3% (2024)
- Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) -1.8% (2024)
- Interest payments 5.3% (2024)
- Grants and other revenue 19.8% (2024)
- Interest payments 4.4% (2023)
- Other taxes 4.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in South Korea?
- Armed forces personnel, total in South Korea was 569,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 750,000 in 1991.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 569,000 in 2020.
- How does South Korea rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- South Korea ranks 11th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as part of Armed forces personnel, total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.