France vs South Korea
France vs South Korea: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 3.5% of government spending in France and 10.8% of government spending in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 7.3 percentage points, or 3.05 times that in France.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1995.
- In 2025, France ranked 117 and South Korea ranked 24 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | France | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.5 | 10.8 |
| 2024 | 3.5 | 11.3 |
| 2023 | 3.4 | 11.2 |
| 2022 | 3.4 | 9.7 |
| 2021 | 3.3 | 10.9 |
| 2020 | 3.3 | 11.2 |
| 2019 | 3.3 | 11.9 |
| 2018 | 3.3 | 12.3 |
| 2017 | 3.2 | 12.3 |
| 2016 | 3.2 | 12.6 |
| 2015 | 3.2 | 12.6 |
| 2014 | 3.2 | 12.8 |
| 2013 | 3.2 | 12.6 |
| 2012 | 3.2 | 12.7 |
| 2011 | 3.3 | 13 |
| 2010 | 3.4 | 13.2 |
| 2009 | 3.6 | 12.8 |
| 2008 | 3.5 | 12.5 |
| 2007 | 3.6 | 12.1 |
| 2006 | 3.7 | 12.3 |
| 2005 | 3.7 | 12.6 |
| 2004 | 3.9 | 11.7 |
| 2003 | 3.9 | 12.2 |
| 2002 | 3.8 | 13.7 |
| 2001 | 3.9 | 13.5 |
| 2000 | 4 | 14.4 |
| 1999 | 4.1 | 14.5 |
| 1998 | 4.2 | 16.4 |
| 1997 | 4.3 | 18.2 |
| 1996 | 4.4 | 18.5 |
| 1995 | 4.5 | 20.3 |
| 1994 | 4.8 | – |
| 1993 | 4.8 | – |
| 1992 | 5.1 | – |
| 1991 | 5.4 | – |
| 1990 | 5.5 | – |
| 1989 | 5.7 | – |
| 1988 | 5.8 | – |
- Estimate
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
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
- 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