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Military Strength: Flag of United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates vs Flag of North Korea North Korea

United Arab Emirates (ranked #19 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than North Korea (#27) on the ARMS Index. North Korea fields 1,469,000 active troops — 23:1 United Arab Emirates's 63,000, backed by 600,000 reserves and 5,000,000 paramilitary. United Arab Emirates's $22B defense budget is 14:1 that of North Korea ($1.6B).

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Flag of United Arab Emirates United Arab EmiratesWorld #19 51.2
ARMS Index / 100

United Arab Emirates leads overall, ahead on 1 of 6 pillars

Flag of North Korea North KoreaWorld #27 48.3
  • 68.263K active troops Manpower15 % 100.01.5M active troops
  • 67.2354 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 74.63,500 battle tanks
  • 38.779 warships Naval power20 % 65.0392 warships
  • 56.3135 combat aircraft Air power25 % 67.3571 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 27.660 warheads
  • 60.2$22B budget Defense budget10 % 46.2$1.6B budget
United Arab Emirates North Korea Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×1.15 vs ×0.80 · Methodology
Key figures
United Arab Emirates North Korea Ratio
Defense budget $22B $1.6B 🇦🇪 14×
– share of GDP 4.0% — 🇦🇪
Active personnel 63,000 1,469,000 🇰🇵 23×
Combat aircraft 135 571 🇰🇵 4.2×
Warships 79 392 🇰🇵 5.0×
– submarines 0 22 🇰🇵
Main battle tanks 354 3,500 🇰🇵 9.9×
Nuclear warheads 0 60 🇰🇵
Show full breakdown · 12 more rowsHide the 12 extra rows
Reserve troops 130,000 600,000 🇰🇵 4.6×
Paramilitary forces 0 5,000,000 🇰🇵
Military aircraft (all types) 548 1,131 🇰🇵 2.1×
– helicopters 264 205 🇦🇪 1.3×
– bombers 0 80 🇰🇵
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $2,011 $62 🇦🇪 32×
Population 11M 26.5M 🇰🇵 2.4×
GDP $552B — 🇦🇪
GDP per capita $50,274 — 🇦🇪
Land area 83,600 km² 120,538 km² 🇰🇵 1.4×
Coastline 1,318 km 2,495 km 🇰🇵 1.9×
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇦🇪 United Arab EmiratesF-16 Fighting Falcon ×76Leclerc ×354
🇰🇵 North KoreaJ-5 Fresco ×241T-54 / T-55 / TM-800 ×1,600Romeo-class ×20
Defense budget history
Military personnel history

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, United Arab Emirates or North Korea?
North Korea has approximately 1,469,000 active military personnel compared to United Arab Emirates's 63,000, giving North Korea a 23:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, United Arab Emirates or North Korea?
North Korea operates 571 combat aircraft compared to United Arab Emirates's 135. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, United Arab Emirates or North Korea?
North Korea has a larger navy with 392 vessels compared to United Arab Emirates's 79 ships. United Arab Emirates operates 0 submarines while North Korea has 22.
Which country spends more on defense, United Arab Emirates or North Korea?
United Arab Emirates has a larger defense budget at $22.1 billion (14:1 more) compared to North Korea's $1.6 billion annually.
Do United Arab Emirates and North Korea have nuclear weapons?
North Korea possesses nuclear weapons with approximately 60 warheads, while United Arab Emirates does not have nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of United Arab Emirates and North Korea compare?
North Korea operates 3,500 main battle tanks compared to United Arab Emirates's 354. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.