India vs South Korea
India vs South Korea: Government debt
Government debt in 2024: 84.8% of GDP in India and 49.6% of GDP in South Korea, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in India, by 35.3 percentage points, or 1.71 times that in South Korea.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- India has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2012.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts India at 75.1% of GDP and South Korea at 49.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | India | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 84.8 | 49.6 |
| 2023 | 84.8 | 50.6 |
| 2022 | 84.4 | 49.7 |
| 2021 | 85.5 | 48 |
| 2020 | 90.4 | 45.9 |
| 2019 | 76.5 | 39.7 |
| 2018 | 71.6 | 37.9 |
| 2017 | 70.7 | 38 |
| 2016 | 69.8 | 39.1 |
| 2015 | 69.7 | 38.8 |
| 2014 | 67.6 | 37.9 |
| 2013 | 68 | 36 |
| 2012 | 68.1 | 33.5 |
| 2011 | 68.7 | – |
| 2010 | 67.7 | – |
| 2009 | 72.7 | – |
| 2008 | 74.3 | – |
| 2007 | 75.4 | – |
| 2006 | 77.9 | – |
| 2005 | 82.4 | – |
| 2004 | 84.9 | – |
| 2003 | 85.9 | – |
| 2002 | 84.3 | – |
| 2001 | 80.1 | – |
| 2000 | 74.9 | – |
| 1999 | 71.3 | – |
| 1998 | 69.3 | – |
| 1997 | 69 | – |
| 1996 | 67.1 | – |
| 1995 | 70.9 | – |
| 1994 | 74.8 | – |
| 1993 | 78.3 | – |
| 1992 | 78.8 | – |
| 1991 | 76.7 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2025–2031
| Year | India | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 84.3 | 52.4 |
| 2026 | 83.1 | 47.3 |
| 2027 | 81.3 | 46.2 |
| 2028 | 79.9 | 47 |
| 2029 | 78.4 | 48.2 |
| 2030 | 77 | 49.2 |
| 2031 | 75.1 | 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.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
India vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyIndia: 72 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIndia: 2.7 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIndia: 22.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIndia: 3.53% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateIndia: 15.6 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIndia: 1.44 billion people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthIndia: 0.89% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIndia: 1.98 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIndia: 35.7% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageIndia: 28.1 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIndia: 6.9% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateIndia: -0.7 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIndia: 2.3% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIndia: $93.3B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personIndia: $63 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIndia: 8.2% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIndia: 3.07 million people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerIndia: 9.94% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIndia: 0.58% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIndia: 2.86 billion TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIndia: 81 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025