Ethiopia vs South Korea
Ethiopia vs South Korea: Arms imports
Arms imports in 2025: 63 million TIV in Ethiopia and 222 million TIV in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 159 million TIV, or 3.52 times that in Ethiopia.
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher since 1979, when it overtook Ethiopia.
- In 2025, Ethiopia ranked 53 and South Korea ranked 35 of 110 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 33.3 billion TIV in 2025.
Every year
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
| Year | Ethiopia | South Korea | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 63 million | 222 million | 33.3 billion |
| 2024 | 48 million | 1.03 billion | 30.6 billion |
| 2023 | 2 million | 218 million | 29.5 billion |
| 2022 | 45 million | 423 million | 33 billion |
| 2021 | 16 million | 812 million | 26.8 billion |
| 2020 | 25 million | 1.27 billion | 23.4 billion |
| 2019 | 76 million | 1.61 billion | 26.9 billion |
| 2018 | 14 million | 1.03 billion | 27.3 billion |
| 2017 | 51 million | 962 million | 31.2 billion |
| 2016 | 55 million | 1.04 billion | 31.4 billion |
| 2015 | 10 million | 268 million | 28.7 billion |
| 2014 | 33 million | 742 million | 27 billion |
| 2013 | 154 million | 189 million | 27.4 billion |
| 2012 | 193 million | 1.08 billion | 27.9 billion |
| 2011 | 76 million | 1.57 billion | 29.9 billion |
| 2010 | 58 million | 1.3 billion | 25.8 billion |
| 2009 | – | 798 million | 24 billion |
| 2008 | – | 1.69 billion | 24.1 billion |
| 2007 | – | 1.73 billion | 26.5 billion |
| 2006 | – | 1.66 billion | 24.4 billion |
| 2005 | – | 801 million | 21.3 billion |
| 2004 | 239 million | 1.06 billion | 21.3 billion |
| 2003 | 174 million | 767 million | 19.2 billion |
| 2002 | 20 million | 519 million | 17.7 billion |
| 2001 | – | 768 million | 18.3 billion |
| 2000 | 114 million | 1.39 billion | 20.5 billion |
| 1999 | 152 million | 1.64 billion | 25.3 billion |
| 1998 | 208 million | 1.42 billion | 27.9 billion |
| 1997 | 69 million | 1.22 billion | 28.9 billion |
| 1996 | – | 1.97 billion | 23.7 billion |
| 1995 | – | 1.95 billion | 22.9 billion |
| 1994 | – | 1.01 billion | 22.8 billion |
| 1993 | – | 1.01 billion | 25.8 billion |
| 1992 | – | 782 million | 24.3 billion |
| 1991 | 80 million | 908 million | 27.8 billion |
| 1990 | 2 million | 1.2 billion | 28.6 billion |
| 1989 | 47 million | 1.84 billion | 31.7 billion |
| 1988 | 155 million | 1.24 billion | 32.9 billion |
| 1987 | 239 million | 773 million | 36.2 billion |
| 1986 | 348 million | 857 million | 35.5 billion |
| 1985 | 268 million | 760 million | 33.2 billion |
| 1984 | 228 million | 524 million | 36.8 billion |
| 1983 | 403 million | 496 million | 39.1 billion |
| 1982 | 516 million | 673 million | 41.4 billion |
| 1981 | 328 million | 872 million | 42 billion |
| 1980 | 330 million | 877 million | 37.4 billion |
| 1979 | 113 million | 1.32 billion | 33.3 billion |
| 1978 | 965 million | 399 million | 39.2 billion |
| 1977 | 1.13 billion | 1.2 billion | 37 billion |
| 1976 | 113 million | 556 million | 33 billion |
| 1975 | 58 million | 661 million | 34.2 billion |
| 1974 | 36 million | 458 million | 32.9 billion |
| 1973 | 5 million | 269 million | 32.6 billion |
| 1972 | 53 million | 413 million | 28.7 billion |
| 1971 | 54 million | 250 million | 29.3 billion |
| 1970 | 90 million | 100 million | 22.1 billion |
| 1969 | 24 million | 586 million | 24.7 billion |
| 1968 | 34 million | 359 million | 22.4 billion |
| 1967 | 31 million | 137 million | 22.1 billion |
| 1966 | 99 million | 578 million | 22.4 billion |
| 1965 | 14 million | 632 million | 23.1 billion |
| 1964 | 4 million | 332 million | 24.2 billion |
| 1963 | 27 million | 214 million | 18.1 billion |
| 1962 | 21 million | 65 million | 15.5 billion |
| 1961 | 4 million | 113 million | 15 billion |
| 1960 | 24 million | 122 million | 15.7 billion |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Major weapons the country received, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV): what the arms are worth as military capability, priced by their production cost, not what was paid.
- Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 110 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Ethiopia vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyEthiopia: 67.3 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityEthiopia: 4.5 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityEthiopia: 33 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterEthiopia: 13.2% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionEthiopia: 3.82% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateEthiopia: 9.6 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationEthiopia: 129 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthEthiopia: 2.59% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateEthiopia: 3.99 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationEthiopia: 24.1% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageEthiopia: 18.7 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overEthiopia: 3.2% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateEthiopia: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingEthiopia: 0.49% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsEthiopia: $785M in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personEthiopia: $4 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingEthiopia: 4.1% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelEthiopia: 138,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerEthiopia: 0.85% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersEthiopia: 0.28% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms exportsEthiopia: 17 million TIV in 1997South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025