Ethiopia vs South Korea
Ethiopia vs South Korea: GDP growth
GDP growth: 8.1% a year in Ethiopia in 2024 and 1.1% a year in South Korea in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Ethiopia, by 5.9 percentage points, or 3.67 times that in South Korea.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Ethiopia has been higher since 2004, when it overtook South Korea.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Ethiopia at 7.7% a year and South Korea at 1.9% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Ethiopia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9.2 | 1.1 |
| 2024 | 8.1 | 2.2 |
| 2023 | 7.2 | 1.5 |
| 2022 | 6.4 | 2.9 |
| 2021 | 6.3 | 4.7 |
| 2020 | 6.1 | -0.7 |
| 2019 | 9 | 2.3 |
| 2018 | 7.7 | 3.2 |
| 2017 | 10.2 | 3.4 |
| 2016 | 8 | 3.2 |
| 2015 | 10.4 | 2.9 |
| 2014 | 10.3 | 3.2 |
| 2013 | 9.9 | 3.3 |
| 2012 | 8.7 | 2.5 |
| 2011 | 11.4 | 3.7 |
| 2010 | 10.6 | 7 |
| 2009 | 10 | 0.8 |
| 2008 | 11.2 | 3 |
| 2007 | 11.8 | 5.8 |
| 2006 | 11.5 | 5.2 |
| 2005 | 12.6 | 4.4 |
| 2004 | 11.7 | 5.2 |
| 2003 | -2.1 | 3.1 |
| 2002 | 1.6 | 7.7 |
| 2001 | 7.4 | 4.7 |
| 2000 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| 1999 | 6.3 | 11.6 |
| 1998 | -4.2 | -4.9 |
| 1997 | 2.8 | 6.3 |
| 1996 | 13.5 | 8 |
| 1995 | 6.1 | 9.7 |
| 1994 | 3.5 | 9.4 |
| 1993 | 13.4 | 7 |
| 1992 | -8.9 | 6.4 |
| 1991 | -7.2 | 10.9 |
| 1990 | 2.6 | 10 |
| 1989 | -0.5 | 7.2 |
| 1988 | 0.6 | 12.1 |
| 1987 | 13.9 | 12.9 |
| 1986 | 9.7 | 11.5 |
| 1985 | -11.4 | 7.9 |
| 1984 | -2.3 | 10.6 |
| 1983 | 7.8 | 13.5 |
| 1982 | 1 | 8.5 |
| 1981 | – | 7.4 |
| 1980 | 4 | -1.5 |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Ethiopia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 9.2 | 3.3 |
| 2027 | 7.8 | 2.8 |
| 2028 | 8.2 | 2.3 |
| 2029 | 8.2 | 2.1 |
| 2030 | 8 | 1.9 |
| 2031 | 7.7 | 1.9 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- 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 143 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
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 importsEthiopia: 63 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsEthiopia: 17 million TIV in 1997South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025