Ethiopia vs South Korea
Ethiopia vs South Korea: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 0.49% of GDP in Ethiopia and 2.6% of GDP in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 2.11 percentage points, or 5.27 times that in Ethiopia.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher since 2007, when it overtook Ethiopia.
- In 2025, Ethiopia ranked 140 and South Korea ranked 34 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Ethiopia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.49 | 2.6 |
| 2024 | 0.49 | 2.54 |
| 2023 | 0.77 | 2.6 |
| 2022 | 0.86 | 2.58 |
| 2021 | 0.44 | 2.62 |
| 2020 | 0.47 | 2.64 |
| 2019 | 0.56 | 2.52 |
| 2018 | 0.63 | 2.36 |
| 2017 | 0.68 | 2.3 |
| 2016 | 0.68 | 2.34 |
| 2015 | 0.67 | 2.38 |
| 2014 | 0.73 | 2.41 |
| 2013 | 0.81 | 2.39 |
| 2012 | 0.87 | 2.39 |
| 2011 | 1.06 | 2.37 |
| 2010 | 1.11 | 2.36 |
| 2009 | 1.21 | 2.5 |
| 2008 | 1.53 | 2.39 |
| 2007 | 1.91 | 2.27 |
| 2006 | 2.31 | 2.3 |
| 2005 | 2.81 | 2.28 |
| 2004 | 3.13 | 2.17 |
| 2003 | 3.3 | 2.18 |
| 2002 | 3.76 | 2.17 |
| 2001 | 4.39 | 2.28 |
| 2000 | 7.69 | 2.31 |
| 1999 | 9.51 | 2.49 |
| 1998 | 7.28 | 2.79 |
| 1997 | 3.34 | 2.66 |
| 1996 | 2.12 | 2.74 |
| 1995 | 2.23 | 2.89 |
| 1994 | 2.87 | 3.19 |
| 1993 | 3.07 | 3.42 |
| 1992 | 3.44 | 3.69 |
| 1991 | 5.71 | 3.71 |
| 1990 | 9.66 | 4 |
| 1989 | 10.28 | 4.29 |
| 1988 | 8.5 | 4.28 |
| 1987 | 6.86 | 4.47 |
| 1986 | 6.7 | 4.95 |
| 1985 | 6.82 | 5.23 |
| 1984 | 7.97 | 5.26 |
| 1983 | 7.18 | 5.73 |
| 1982 | 7.54 | 6.24 |
| 1981 | 7.54 | 6.42 |
| 1980 | 8.71 | 6.4 |
| 1979 | 6.89 | 5.53 |
| 1978 | 4.81 | 6.37 |
| 1977 | 3.97 | 6.04 |
| 1976 | 4.13 | 5.91 |
| 1975 | 4.49 | 4.88 |
| 1974 | 2.8 | 4.54 |
| 1973 | 1.93 | 4.04 |
| 1972 | 1.94 | 5.01 |
| 1971 | 1.91 | 4.74 |
| 1970 | 1.88 | 4.4 |
| 1969 | 2.02 | 4.69 |
| 1968 | 2.2 | 4.73 |
| 1967 | 2.49 | 4.69 |
| 1966 | 3.11 | 4.69 |
| 1965 | 3.23 | 4.41 |
| 1964 | 2.92 | 4.13 |
| 1963 | 2.43 | 4.82 |
| 1962 | 1.93 | 6.87 |
| 1961 | 1.86 | 6.73 |
| 1960 | – | 7.16 |
| 1959 | – | 7.64 |
| 1958 | – | 7.43 |
| 1957 | – | 6.8 |
| 1956 | – | 8.33 |
| 1955 | – | 6.24 |
| 1954 | – | 5.85 |
| 1953 | – | 2.36 |
- Estimate
- Highly uncertain
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, as a share of its economy, 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 151 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 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