Australia vs South Korea
Australia vs South Korea: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 4.9% of government spending in Australia and 10.8% of government spending in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 5.9 percentage points, or 2.21 times that in Australia.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1995.
- In 2025, Australia ranked 78 and South Korea ranked 24 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Australia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.9 | 10.8 |
| 2024 | 4.9 | 11.3 |
| 2023 | 5 | 11.2 |
| 2022 | 5 | 9.7 |
| 2021 | 4.7 | 10.9 |
| 2020 | 4.5 | 11.2 |
| 2019 | 4.8 | 11.9 |
| 2018 | 5.1 | 12.3 |
| 2017 | 5.5 | 12.3 |
| 2016 | 5.6 | 12.6 |
| 2015 | 5.2 | 12.6 |
| 2014 | 4.8 | 12.8 |
| 2013 | 4.5 | 12.6 |
| 2012 | 4.6 | 12.7 |
| 2011 | 4.8 | 13 |
| 2010 | 5 | 13.2 |
| 2009 | 5.1 | 12.8 |
| 2008 | 5.1 | 12.5 |
| 2007 | 5.3 | 12.1 |
| 2006 | 5.3 | 12.3 |
| 2005 | 5.2 | 12.6 |
| 2004 | 5.2 | 11.7 |
| 2003 | 5.3 | 12.2 |
| 2002 | 5.4 | 13.7 |
| 2001 | 5.2 | 13.5 |
| 2000 | 5.2 | 14.4 |
| 1999 | 5.2 | 14.5 |
| 1998 | 5.4 | 16.4 |
| 1997 | 5.7 | 18.2 |
| 1996 | 5.8 | 18.5 |
| 1995 | 6 | 20.3 |
| 1994 | 6.3 | – |
| 1993 | 6.4 | – |
| 1992 | 6.4 | – |
| 1991 | 6.5 | – |
| 1990 | 6.8 | – |
| 1989 | 6.9 | – |
| 1988 | 7 | – |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Marked points are SIPRI’s own: a dot where it gives the figure as its estimate, a ring where it calls the figure highly uncertain.
- Ranks count the 150 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Australia vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyAustralia: 83.9 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityAustralia: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityAustralia: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionAustralia: 4.62% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateAustralia: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationAustralia: 26.5 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthAustralia: 0.99% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateAustralia: 1.64 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationAustralia: 87.7% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageAustralia: 37.8 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overAustralia: 17.4% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateAustralia: 5.3 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingAustralia: 1.92% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsAustralia: $35.3B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personAustralia: $1,316 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelAustralia: 60,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerAustralia: 0.6% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersAustralia: 0.44% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsAustralia: 826 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsAustralia: 108 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025