France vs South Korea
France vs South Korea: Government debt
Government debt: 115.5% of GDP in France in 2025 and 49.6% of GDP in South Korea in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in France, by 63 percentage points, or 2.27 times that in South Korea.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- France has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2012.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts France at 123.6% of GDP and South Korea at 49.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | France | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 115.5 | 52.4 |
| 2024 | 112.6 | 49.6 |
| 2023 | 109.5 | 50.6 |
| 2022 | 111.4 | 49.7 |
| 2021 | 112.8 | 48 |
| 2020 | 114.9 | 45.9 |
| 2019 | 98.2 | 39.7 |
| 2018 | 98.5 | 37.9 |
| 2017 | 98.8 | 38 |
| 2016 | 98.2 | 39.1 |
| 2015 | 97 | 38.8 |
| 2014 | 96.2 | 37.9 |
| 2013 | 94.6 | 36 |
| 2012 | 91.7 | 33.5 |
| 2011 | 88.8 | – |
| 2010 | 86.3 | – |
| 2009 | 84.1 | – |
| 2008 | 69.8 | – |
| 2007 | 65.5 | – |
| 2006 | 65.4 | – |
| 2005 | 68.2 | – |
| 2004 | 66.9 | – |
| 2003 | 65.4 | – |
| 2002 | 61.3 | – |
| 2001 | 59.3 | – |
| 2000 | 59.7 | – |
| 1999 | 61.4 | – |
| 1998 | 62.1 | – |
| 1997 | 62 | – |
| 1996 | 60.6 | – |
| 1995 | 57.8 | – |
| 1994 | 51.6 | – |
| 1993 | 48.2 | – |
| 1992 | 41.7 | – |
| 1991 | 37.8 | – |
| 1990 | 36.8 | – |
| 1989 | 35.5 | – |
| 1988 | 34.7 | – |
| 1987 | 34.8 | – |
| 1986 | 32.4 | – |
| 1985 | 31.9 | – |
| 1984 | 30.2 | – |
| 1983 | 27.7 | – |
| 1982 | 26.2 | – |
| 1981 | 22.7 | – |
| 1980 | 21.3 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | France | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 118.5 | 47.3 |
| 2027 | 120.4 | 46.2 |
| 2028 | 121.7 | 47 |
| 2029 | 122.6 | 48.2 |
| 2030 | 123.2 | 49.2 |
| 2031 | 123.6 | 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.
- Ranks count the 149 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
France vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyFrance: 83.3 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityFrance: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityFrance: 3.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterFrance: 99.7% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionFrance: 4.25% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateFrance: 12.4 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationFrance: 66.4 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthFrance: 0.17% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateFrance: 1.64 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationFrance: 78.8% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageFrance: 41.8 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overFrance: 21.8% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateFrance: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingFrance: 2.03% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsFrance: $64.5B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personFrance: $1,021 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingFrance: 3.5% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelFrance: 304,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerFrance: 1.09% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersFrance: 1% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsFrance: 236 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsFrance: 3.37 billion TIV in 2025South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025