France vs South Korea
France vs South Korea: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 2.03% of GDP in France and 2.6% of GDP in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 0.57 percentage points, or 1.28 times that in France.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher since 1965, when it overtook France.
- In 2025, France ranked 59 and South Korea ranked 34 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | France | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.03 | 2.6 |
| 2024 | 2.01 | 2.54 |
| 2023 | 1.95 | 2.6 |
| 2022 | 1.96 | 2.58 |
| 2021 | 1.98 | 2.62 |
| 2020 | 2.02 | 2.64 |
| 2019 | 1.85 | 2.52 |
| 2018 | 1.85 | 2.36 |
| 2017 | 1.85 | 2.3 |
| 2016 | 1.85 | 2.34 |
| 2015 | 1.87 | 2.38 |
| 2014 | 1.86 | 2.41 |
| 2013 | 1.85 | 2.39 |
| 2012 | 1.87 | 2.39 |
| 2011 | 1.89 | 2.37 |
| 2010 | 1.97 | 2.36 |
| 2009 | 2.1 | 2.5 |
| 2008 | 1.9 | 2.39 |
| 2007 | 1.91 | 2.27 |
| 2006 | 1.98 | 2.3 |
| 2005 | 2.03 | 2.28 |
| 2004 | 2.11 | 2.17 |
| 2003 | 2.11 | 2.18 |
| 2002 | 2.06 | 2.17 |
| 2001 | 2.04 | 2.28 |
| 2000 | 2.09 | 2.31 |
| 1999 | 2.2 | 2.49 |
| 1998 | 2.25 | 2.79 |
| 1997 | 2.39 | 2.66 |
| 1996 | 2.44 | 2.74 |
| 1995 | 2.52 | 2.89 |
| 1994 | 2.69 | 3.19 |
| 1993 | 2.72 | 3.42 |
| 1992 | 2.73 | 3.69 |
| 1991 | 2.85 | 3.71 |
| 1990 | 2.85 | 4 |
| 1989 | 2.92 | 4.29 |
| 1988 | 3 | 4.28 |
| 1987 | 3.12 | 4.47 |
| 1986 | 3.09 | 4.95 |
| 1985 | 3.14 | 5.23 |
| 1984 | 3.19 | 5.26 |
| 1983 | 3.24 | 5.73 |
| 1982 | 3.22 | 6.24 |
| 1981 | 3.25 | 6.42 |
| 1980 | 3.16 | 6.4 |
| 1979 | 3.14 | 5.53 |
| 1978 | 3.15 | 6.37 |
| 1977 | 3.23 | 6.04 |
| 1976 | 3.16 | 5.91 |
| 1975 | 3.2 | 4.88 |
| 1974 | 3.09 | 4.54 |
| 1973 | 3.14 | 4.04 |
| 1972 | 3.23 | 5.01 |
| 1971 | 3.32 | 4.74 |
| 1970 | 3.46 | 4.4 |
| 1969 | 3.68 | 4.69 |
| 1968 | 4.14 | 4.73 |
| 1967 | 4.3 | 4.69 |
| 1966 | 4.29 | 4.69 |
| 1965 | 4.4 | 4.41 |
| 1964 | 4.54 | 4.13 |
| 1963 | 4.74 | 4.82 |
| 1962 | 5.16 | 6.87 |
| 1961 | 5.3 | 6.73 |
| 1960 | 5.43 | 7.16 |
| 1959 | 5.64 | 7.64 |
| 1958 | 5.69 | 7.43 |
| 1957 | 6.16 | 6.8 |
| 1956 | 6.46 | 8.33 |
| 1955 | 5.39 | 6.24 |
| 1954 | 6.12 | 5.85 |
| 1953 | 7.57 | 2.36 |
| 1952 | 7.23 | – |
| 1951 | 5.99 | – |
| 1950 | 4.65 | – |
- Estimate
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
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 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