North Korea

Asia · Global Firepower rank #31

Overview

GFP power index 0.5933

GFP rank 31

Economy

Defense budget (USD) $4,750,000,000

GDP (USD) $32,010,000,000

Defense spend, % of GDP (%) 14.8 %

Population 26,298,666

Personnel

Active personnel 1,320,000

Reserve personnel 560,000

Paramilitary 100,000

Nuclear

Warheads, total 60

Nuclear status Yes

Delivery legs land-based

NPT status withdrew from NPT in 2003, not recognized as a nuclear-weapon state under the treaty

First test year 2006

Air power

Total aircraft 837

Fighters 341

Attack aircraft 114

Transport aircraft 1

Helicopters 205

Attack helicopters 20

Land power

Tanks 4,895

Armored fighting vehicles 47,792

Self-propelled artillery 1,300

Towed artillery 700

Rocket artillery (MLRS) 1,500

Naval power

Total naval assets 332

Aircraft carriers 0

Submarines 24

Destroyers 2

Frigates 2

Corvettes 8

Patrol vessels 227

Notes

All figures for North Korea are external estimates, drawn from Global Firepower's open-source modeling, FAS's 2026 nuclear assessment, and Bank of Korea's GNI methodology for GDP, not confirmed or self-reported data, since North Korea does not publish reliable military statistics. FAS estimates fissile material sufficient for at least 90 warheads with roughly 60 assembled as of 2026. A submarine-launched ballistic missile capability has been tested but is not verified as operationally deployed, so the credible delivery capability is assessed as land-based only.

Sources: Global Firepower 2026, SIPRI 2025, FAS 2026, IMF. Figures are public estimates.

Manufacturers

DPRK Academy of Defense Science →