Ethiopia vs South Korea
Ethiopia vs South Korea: Government debt
Government debt in 2024: 33.5% of GDP in Ethiopia and 49.6% of GDP in South Korea, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Korea, by 16.1 percentage points, or 1.48 times that in Ethiopia.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher since 2022, when it overtook Ethiopia.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Ethiopia at 27.5% of GDP and South Korea at 49.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Ethiopia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 33.5 | 49.6 |
| 2023 | 38.7 | 50.6 |
| 2022 | 47 | 49.7 |
| 2021 | 53.8 | 48 |
| 2020 | 53.3 | 45.9 |
| 2019 | 54.7 | 39.7 |
| 2018 | 58.5 | 37.9 |
| 2017 | 55.3 | 38 |
| 2016 | 51.8 | 39.1 |
| 2015 | 50.7 | 38.8 |
| 2014 | 44.2 | 37.9 |
| 2013 | 44.1 | 36 |
| 2012 | 39.4 | 33.5 |
| 2011 | 44.6 | – |
| 2010 | 39.4 | – |
| 2009 | 30 | – |
| 2008 | 56.1 | – |
| 2007 | 55.7 | – |
| 2006 | 79.6 | – |
| 2005 | 78.2 | – |
| 2004 | 103.1 | – |
| 2003 | 103.7 | – |
| 2002 | 107.4 | – |
| 2001 | 97.3 | – |
| 2000 | 93.6 | – |
| 1999 | 97.8 | – |
| 1998 | 89.3 | – |
| 1997 | 80.3 | – |
| 1996 | 132.8 | – |
| 1995 | 146.6 | – |
| 1994 | 155.2 | – |
| 1993 | 141 | – |
| 1992 | 87.9 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2025–2031
| Year | Ethiopia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 43.3 | 52.4 |
| 2026 | 40.7 | 47.3 |
| 2027 | 37 | 46.2 |
| 2028 | 34.2 | 47 |
| 2029 | 31.8 | 48.2 |
| 2030 | 29.7 | 49.2 |
| 2031 | 27.5 | 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.
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