Archive · 10 Aug 2025
South Korea's Military Shrinks Due to Population Decline
South Korea's military is shrinking.
It has shrunk by 20% in the last six years.
This is because there are fewer young men to join the army, mainly due to the country's very low birth rate.
The country has strong alliances and advanced technology.
The drop in the number of soldiers could threaten operational readiness.
South Korea's active-duty military has decreased by 20% in the last six years.
The decline is primarily due to a drop in the male population of enlistment age.
South Korea has the world's lowest fertility rate.
The military currently has about 450,000 troops.
The number of 20-year-old men dropped 30% between 2019 and 2025.
- Who
- South Korea's military.
- What
- South Korea's military has decreased in size.
- When
- The military shrank by 20% in the last six years.
- Where
- South Korea.
- Why
- Due to a sharp decline in the male population of enlistment age and the world's lowest birth rate.
- Military Size Decrease
- 20% in six years
- Current Military Size
- 450,000 troops
- Male Population Decline (2019-2025)
- 30%
- Fertility Rate (2024)
- 0.75
- Military Strength Comparison with North Korea
- 1.2 million active-duty soldiers
Sources
South Korea’s military has shrunk by 20% in six years as male population drops
South Korea’s military shrinks 20% in six years, faces 50,000-troop shortage amid record-low birth rate
South Korea’s military shrinks 20% in six years amid record-low birthrate
South Korea’s army shrinks 20% in six years as birthrate crisis hits enlistment - Telegraph India