Military expenditure in North Korea
North Korea: Military expenditure was 216.60 billion current LCU in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Military expenditure in North Korea, 1986–2018
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in current LCU.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military expenditure in North Korea is 216.60 billion current LCU, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
The figure is up 66.9% on the previous year and up 203.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in North Korea peaked at 216.60 billion current LCU in 2018 and was at its lowest, 2.92 billion current LCU, in 1998.
North Korea ranks 53rd of 167 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.97 billion current LCU | 3.86 billion current LCU | 4.04 billion current LCU | 4 |
| 1990s | 3.93 billion current LCU | 2.92 billion current LCU | 4.72 billion current LCU | 8 |
| 2000s | 46.24 billion current LCU | 3.00 billion current LCU | 76.25 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2010s | 119.46 billion current LCU | 82.60 billion current LCU | 216.60 billion current LCU | 9 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More public sector data for North Korea
- Arms imports 1.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2010)
- Military expenditure 1.60 billion current USD (2018)
- Armed forces personnel, total 1.47 million (2020)
- Armed forces personnel 8.6% (2020)
- Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 1 data use score 10 scale 0-100 (2024)
- Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 3 data products score 46.56 scale 0-100 (2024)
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments 17.6% (2025)
- Internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disaste 200 number of cases (2022)
- Arms exports 243.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in North Korea?
- Military expenditure in North Korea was 216.60 billion current LCU in 2018, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 216.60 billion current LCU in 2018.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.92 billion current LCU in 1998.
- How does North Korea rank for military expenditure?
- North Korea ranks 53rd out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 203.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (current LCU). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Military expenditure in local currency at current prices (by calendar year)