Ireland vs South Korea
Ireland vs South Korea: GDP growth
GDP growth in 2025: 8% a year in Ireland and 1.1% a year in South Korea, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Ireland, by 6.8 percentage points, or 7 times that in South Korea.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Ireland has been higher since 2024, when it overtook South Korea.
- In 2025, Ireland ranked 11 and South Korea ranked 119 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Ireland at 2.3% a year and South Korea at 1.9% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Ireland | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | 1.1 |
| 2024 | 3.6 | 2.2 |
| 2023 | -3.3 | 1.5 |
| 2022 | 8.2 | 2.9 |
| 2021 | 16.6 | 4.7 |
| 2020 | 7 | -0.7 |
| 2019 | 5 | 2.3 |
| 2018 | 7.7 | 3.2 |
| 2017 | 10.1 | 3.4 |
| 2016 | 1.2 | 3.2 |
| 2015 | 24.7 | 2.9 |
| 2014 | 9.4 | 3.2 |
| 2013 | 2.2 | 3.3 |
| 2012 | -0.4 | 2.5 |
| 2011 | 1.6 | 3.7 |
| 2010 | 1.7 | 7 |
| 2009 | -5.1 | 0.8 |
| 2008 | -4.5 | 3 |
| 2007 | 5.3 | 5.8 |
| 2006 | 5 | 5.2 |
| 2005 | 5.7 | 4.4 |
| 2004 | 6.7 | 5.2 |
| 2003 | 3 | 3.1 |
| 2002 | 5.9 | 7.7 |
| 2001 | 5.3 | 4.7 |
| 2000 | 9.4 | 9.2 |
| 1999 | 10.5 | 11.6 |
| 1998 | 8.8 | -4.9 |
| 1997 | 10.8 | 6.3 |
| 1996 | 9.1 | 8 |
| 1995 | 9.6 | 9.7 |
| 1994 | 5.9 | 9.4 |
| 1993 | 2.3 | 7 |
| 1992 | 3.6 | 6.4 |
| 1991 | 1.6 | 10.9 |
| 1990 | 7.7 | 10 |
| 1989 | 5.6 | 7.2 |
| 1988 | 3 | 12.1 |
| 1987 | 3.6 | 12.9 |
| 1986 | 0.4 | 11.5 |
| 1985 | 1.9 | 7.9 |
| 1984 | 3.2 | 10.6 |
| 1983 | -0.7 | 13.5 |
| 1982 | 1.5 | 8.5 |
| 1981 | 2.5 | 7.4 |
| 1980 | 2.9 | -1.5 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Ireland | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | -1 | 3.3 |
| 2027 | 3.7 | 2.8 |
| 2028 | 2.9 | 2.3 |
| 2029 | 2.4 | 2.1 |
| 2030 | 2.3 | 1.9 |
| 2031 | 2.3 | 1.9 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- 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 143 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
Ireland vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyIreland: 82.4 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIreland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIreland: 2.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterIreland: 96% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionIreland: 4.25% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateIreland: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIreland: 5.2 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthIreland: 1.19% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIreland: 1.6 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIreland: 64.6% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageIreland: 38.4 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIreland: 15.5% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateIreland: 8.4 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIreland: 0.22% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIreland: $1.46B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personIreland: $272 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIreland: 0.9% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIreland: 9,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerIreland: 0.05% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIreland: 0.37% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIreland: 14 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIreland: 24 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025