Canada vs South Korea
Canada vs South Korea: Military spending per person
Military spending per person in 2025: $939 in Canada and $924 in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Canada, by $15, or 1.02 times that in South Korea.
US dollars per person · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Canada has been higher since 2025, when it overtook South Korea.
- In 2025, Canada ranked 23 and South Korea ranked 25 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars per person · SIPRI
| Year | Canada | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $939 | $924 |
| 2024 | $774 | $920 |
| 2023 | $739 | $924 |
| 2022 | $651 | $895 |
| 2021 | $644 | $980 |
| 2020 | $617 | $890 |
| 2019 | $567 | $853 |
| 2018 | $583 | $835 |
| 2017 | $584 | $762 |
| 2016 | $483 | $721 |
| 2015 | $509 | $720 |
| 2014 | $555 | $747 |
| 2013 | $527 | $689 |
| 2012 | $589 | $647 |
| 2011 | $622 | $634 |
| 2010 | $568 | $579 |
| 2009 | $563 | $507 |
| 2008 | $582 | $540 |
| 2007 | $529 | $577 |
| 2006 | $454 | $525 |
| 2005 | $402 | $464 |
| 2004 | $355 | $375 |
| 2003 | $314 | $334 |
| 2002 | $271 | $299 |
| 2001 | $270 | $276 |
| 2000 | $270 | $296 |
| 1999 | $270 | $261 |
| 1998 | $257 | $227 |
| 1997 | $266 | $324 |
| 1996 | $291 | $361 |
| 1995 | $313 | $356 |
| 1994 | $330 | $300 |
| 1993 | $358 | $277 |
| 1992 | $381 | $261 |
| 1991 | $405 | $247 |
| 1990 | $414 | $231 |
| 1989 | $396 | $219 |
| 1988 | $370 | $181 |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence for each person living there, in US dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation.
- 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 151 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
Canada vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyCanada: 82.6 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCanada: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCanada: 4.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterCanada: 99% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionCanada: 3.99% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateCanada: 10.9 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCanada: 39.3 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthCanada: 1.22% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCanada: 1.35 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCanada: 82.9% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageCanada: 40.3 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCanada: 19.4% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateCanada: 11 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCanada: 1.63% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsCanada: $37.5B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military share of state spendingCanada: 3.7% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelCanada: 72,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerCanada: 0.81% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCanada: 0.35% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCanada: 83 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsCanada: 312 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025