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Army comparison: Flag of Japan Japan vs Flag of North Korea North Korea

Japan operates 3,825 active military vehicles vs 6,537 for North Korea.

ARMS (Armour and Manpower Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Japan JapanWorld #27 28.9
ARMS Index / 100

North Korea leads overall, ahead on 1 of 8 categories

Flag of North Korea North KoreaWorld #11 38.2
  • 302 Main battle tanksweight ×10 · era 4,235
  • 40 Rocket artilleryweight ×8 · era 0
  • 175 Self-propelled artilleryweight ×6 · era 0
  • 179 Infantry fighting vehiclesweight ×4 · era 32
  • 100 Towed artilleryweight ×3 · era 0
  • 1,003 Armoured personnel carriersweight ×2 · era 1,710
  • 200 Light armoured vehiclesweight ×2 · era 560
  • 1,826 Protected mobility vehiclesweight ×0.5 · era 0
Japan North Korea Bars: weighted contribution to the ARMS Index (vehicles × category weight × era, active + 0.3 × stored; manpower and the rotary, armament and availability multipliers apply on top) · figures: active vehicles at each side's latest inventory year · Methodology
Key figures as of 2026
Japan North Korea Ratio
Total vehicles 3,825 6,537 🇰🇵 1.7×
On order 310 0 🇯🇵
Main battle tanks 302 4,235 🇰🇵 14×
Artillery pieces 315 0 🇯🇵
Armoured fighting vehicles 3,208 2,302 🇯🇵 1.4×
Active military personnel (all branches) 247,000 1,280,000 🇰🇵 5.2×
Reserve military personnel (all branches) 55,900 600,000 🇰🇵 11×
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Infantry fighting vehicles 179 32 🇯🇵 5.6×
Armoured personnel carriers 1,003 1,710 🇰🇵 1.7×
Self-propelled artillery 175 0 🇯🇵
Towed artillery 100 0 🇯🇵
Rocket artillery 40 0 🇯🇵
Backbone vehicles most numerous in service
🇯🇵 JapanMitsubishi Type 90 ×185AAV-7A1 ×52M270 MLRS ×40
🇰🇵 North KoreaT-62 / TR-580 / Tiran ×2,200BTR-80 ×32BTR-60 ×1,200
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more armored vehicles, Japan or North Korea?
North Korea has a larger ground force with 6,537 vehicles compared to Japan's 3,825 vehicles.
Which country has more tanks, Japan or North Korea?
North Korea operates more main battle tanks with 4,235 compared to Japan's 302.
Which army has more infantry fighting vehicles, Japan or North Korea?
Japan has 179 infantry fighting vehicles compared to North Korea's 32.
Which country has more armored personnel carriers, Japan or North Korea?
North Korea operates 1,710 APCs compared to Japan's 1,003.
Which country has more artillery systems, Japan or North Korea?
Japan fields 315 artillery systems (self-propelled, towed, and MLRS) compared to North Korea's 0.
How do the Japan and North Korea armies compare in size?
North Korea's army is 1.7 times larger than Japan's in terms of total vehicles (6,537 vs 3,825).