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

China's army fields 26,250 active vehicles — 4.0:1 North Korea's 6,537.

ARMS (Armour and Manpower Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of China ChinaWorld #2 90.7
ARMS Index / 100

China leads on 7 of 7 categories

Flag of North Korea North KoreaWorld #10 37.0
  • 4,770 Main battle tanksweight ×10 · era 4,235
  • 2,670 Rocket artilleryweight ×8 · era 0
  • 4,510 Self-propelled artilleryweight ×6 · era 0
  • 8,050 Infantry fighting vehiclesweight ×4 · era 32
  • 900 Towed artilleryweight ×3 · era 0
  • 4,350 Armoured personnel carriersweight ×2 · era 1,710
  • 1,000 Light armoured vehiclesweight ×2 · era 560
China 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
China North Korea Ratio
Total vehicles 26,250 6,537 🇨🇳 4.0×
Main battle tanks 4,770 4,235 🇨🇳 1.1×
Artillery pieces 8,080 0 🇨🇳
Armoured fighting vehicles 13,400 2,302 🇨🇳 5.8×
Active military personnel (all branches) 2,035,000 1,280,000 🇨🇳 1.6×
Reserve military personnel (all branches) 510,000 600,000 🇰🇵 1.2×
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Infantry fighting vehicles 8,050 32 🇨🇳 252×
Armoured personnel carriers 4,350 1,710 🇨🇳 2.5×
Self-propelled artillery 4,510 0 🇨🇳
Towed artillery 900 0 🇨🇳
Rocket artillery 2,670 0 🇨🇳
Backbone vehicles most numerous in service
🇨🇳 ChinaType 96 ×2,500ZBL-08 ×3,250ZSD-89 ×1,750
🇰🇵 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, China or North Korea?
China has a larger ground force with 26,250 vehicles compared to North Korea's 6,537 vehicles.
Which country has more tanks, China or North Korea?
China operates more main battle tanks with 4,770 compared to North Korea's 4,235.
Which army has more infantry fighting vehicles, China or North Korea?
China has 8,050 infantry fighting vehicles compared to North Korea's 32.
Which country has more armored personnel carriers, China or North Korea?
China operates 4,350 APCs compared to North Korea's 1,710.
Which country has more artillery systems, China or North Korea?
China fields 8,080 artillery systems (self-propelled, towed, and MLRS) compared to North Korea's 0.
How do the China and North Korea armies compare in size?
China's army is 4.0 times larger than North Korea's in terms of total vehicles (26,250 vs 6,537).