Cambodia vs South Korea
Cambodia vs South Korea: Government debt
Government debt: 25.5% of GDP in Cambodia in 2025 and 49.6% of GDP in South Korea in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Korea, by 23.4 percentage points, or 1.9 times that in Cambodia.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2012.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Cambodia at 25.7% of GDP and South Korea at 49.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Cambodia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25.5 | 52.4 |
| 2024 | 26.1 | 49.6 |
| 2023 | 26.3 | 50.6 |
| 2022 | 25.3 | 49.7 |
| 2021 | 26.4 | 48 |
| 2020 | 25.5 | 45.9 |
| 2019 | 21.2 | 39.7 |
| 2018 | 21.3 | 37.9 |
| 2017 | 22.9 | 38 |
| 2016 | 22 | 39.1 |
| 2015 | 23.4 | 38.8 |
| 2014 | 24 | 37.9 |
| 2013 | 24.6 | 36 |
| 2012 | 25 | 33.5 |
| 2011 | 23.7 | – |
| 2010 | 23.5 | – |
| 2009 | 23.1 | – |
| 2008 | 22.7 | – |
| 2007 | 25.3 | – |
| 2006 | 26.6 | – |
| 2005 | 31.3 | – |
| 2004 | 38.1 | – |
| 2003 | 39.6 | – |
| 2002 | 37.8 | – |
| 2001 | 33.6 | – |
| 2000 | 34.1 | – |
| 1999 | 34.7 | – |
| 1998 | 37.2 | – |
| 1997 | 31.6 | – |
| 1996 | 30.2 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Cambodia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 25.1 | 47.3 |
| 2027 | 25.3 | 46.2 |
| 2028 | 24.9 | 47 |
| 2029 | 25.4 | 48.2 |
| 2030 | 25.7 | 49.2 |
| 2031 | 25.7 | 49.7 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 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
Cambodia vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyCambodia: 70.7 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCambodia: 1.8 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCambodia: 19.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterCambodia: 29.1% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionCambodia: 3.1% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateCambodia: 4.5 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCambodia: 17.4 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthCambodia: 1.25% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCambodia: 2.58 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCambodia: 41.1% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageCambodia: 25.8 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCambodia: 6% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateCambodia: -1.8 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCambodia: 1.45% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsCambodia: $716M in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personCambodia: $42 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingCambodia: 8.2% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelCambodia: 191,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerCambodia: 0.16% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCambodia: 2.02% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCambodia: 56 million TIV in 2023South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsCambodia: 1 million TIV in 2000South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025