Colombia vs South Korea
Colombia vs South Korea: Government debt
Government debt: 59.9% of GDP in Colombia in 2025 and 49.6% of GDP in South Korea in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Colombia, by 11.4 percentage points, or 1.23 times that in South Korea.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Colombia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2012.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Colombia at 65.3% of GDP and South Korea at 49.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Colombia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 59.9 | 52.4 |
| 2024 | 61 | 49.6 |
| 2023 | 55.4 | 50.6 |
| 2022 | 61.3 | 49.7 |
| 2021 | 64.4 | 48 |
| 2020 | 65.3 | 45.9 |
| 2019 | 51 | 39.7 |
| 2018 | 51.8 | 37.9 |
| 2017 | 49.5 | 38 |
| 2016 | 49.9 | 39.1 |
| 2015 | 50.4 | 38.8 |
| 2014 | 43.3 | 37.9 |
| 2013 | 37.6 | 36 |
| 2012 | 34 | 33.5 |
| 2011 | 35.8 | – |
| 2010 | 36.5 | – |
| 2009 | 35.4 | – |
| 2008 | 32.4 | – |
| 2007 | 32.7 | – |
| 2006 | 36 | – |
| 2005 | 38.5 | – |
| 2004 | 41.5 | – |
| 2003 | 45 | – |
| 2002 | 47.6 | – |
| 2001 | 41.1 | – |
| 2000 | 38 | – |
| 1999 | 34 | – |
| 1998 | 27.5 | – |
| 1997 | 25.3 | – |
| 1996 | 23.3 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Colombia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 59.5 | 47.3 |
| 2027 | 62.9 | 46.2 |
| 2028 | 65.1 | 47 |
| 2029 | 65.9 | 48.2 |
| 2030 | 65.7 | 49.2 |
| 2031 | 65.3 | 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
Colombia vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyColombia: 77.7 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityColombia: 1.2 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityColombia: 9.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterColombia: 73.9% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionColombia: 2.2% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateColombia: 5.5 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationColombia: 52.3 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthColombia: 1.1% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateColombia: 1.65 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationColombia: 78.8% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageColombia: 31.6 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overColombia: 9.4% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateColombia: 3 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingColombia: 3.2% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsColombia: $13.7B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personColombia: $273 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingColombia: 9.3% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelColombia: 428,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerColombia: 0.57% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersColombia: 1.7% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsColombia: 22 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsColombia: 4 million TIV in 2020South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025