Ethiopia vs South Korea
Ethiopia vs South Korea: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 4.1% of government spending in Ethiopia and 10.8% of government spending in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 6.7 percentage points, or 2.62 times that in Ethiopia.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher since 2005, when it overtook Ethiopia.
- In 2025, Ethiopia ranked 102 and South Korea ranked 24 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Ethiopia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.1 | 10.8 |
| 2024 | 5.2 | 11.3 |
| 2023 | 7.1 | 11.2 |
| 2022 | 6.8 | 9.7 |
| 2021 | 3.2 | 10.9 |
| 2020 | 3.2 | 11.2 |
| 2019 | 3.6 | 11.9 |
| 2018 | 3.9 | 12.3 |
| 2017 | 3.8 | 12.3 |
| 2016 | 3.8 | 12.6 |
| 2015 | 3.9 | 12.6 |
| 2014 | 4.2 | 12.8 |
| 2013 | 4.5 | 12.6 |
| 2012 | 5.2 | 12.7 |
| 2011 | 5.8 | 13 |
| 2010 | 5.9 | 13.2 |
| 2009 | 6.9 | 12.8 |
| 2008 | 8 | 12.5 |
| 2007 | 9.1 | 12.1 |
| 2006 | 10.3 | 12.3 |
| 2005 | 12.1 | 12.6 |
| 2004 | 13.3 | 11.7 |
| 2003 | 12 | 12.2 |
| 2002 | 14.8 | 13.7 |
| 2001 | 19.2 | 13.5 |
| 2000 | 29.5 | 14.4 |
| 1999 | 36.2 | 14.5 |
| 1998 | 28.8 | 16.4 |
| 1997 | 15.1 | 18.2 |
| 1996 | 7.9 | 18.5 |
| 1995 | 9 | 20.3 |
| 1994 | 11.5 | – |
| 1993 | 15.7 | – |
| 1992 | 17 | – |
| 1991 | 22.6 | – |
| 1990 | 30.8 | – |
| 1989 | 28.2 | – |
| 1988 | 26 | – |
- Estimate
- Highly uncertain
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, by SIPRI’s count.
- 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 150 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
- 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