Ireland vs South Korea
Ireland vs South Korea: Government debt
Government debt: 34.8% of GDP in Ireland in 2025 and 49.6% of GDP in South Korea in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Korea, by 11.2 percentage points, or 1.29 times that in Ireland.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher since 2022, when it overtook Ireland.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Ireland at 24.1% of GDP and South Korea at 49.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Ireland | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34.8 | 52.4 |
| 2024 | 38.4 | 49.6 |
| 2023 | 42.1 | 50.6 |
| 2022 | 42.8 | 49.7 |
| 2021 | 52.4 | 48 |
| 2020 | 57.1 | 45.9 |
| 2019 | 55.8 | 39.7 |
| 2018 | 61.4 | 37.9 |
| 2017 | 65.3 | 38 |
| 2016 | 72.7 | 39.1 |
| 2015 | 74.1 | 38.8 |
| 2014 | 101.5 | 37.9 |
| 2013 | 117.8 | 36 |
| 2012 | 119 | 33.5 |
| 2011 | 109.7 | – |
| 2010 | 86.3 | – |
| 2009 | 61.8 | – |
| 2008 | 42.5 | – |
| 2007 | 24 | – |
| 2006 | 23.7 | – |
| 2005 | 26.1 | – |
| 2004 | 28 | – |
| 2003 | 29.8 | – |
| 2002 | 30.9 | – |
| 2001 | 33.6 | – |
| 2000 | 36.4 | – |
| 1999 | 46.6 | – |
| 1998 | 51.4 | – |
| 1997 | 61.6 | – |
| 1996 | 69.8 | – |
| 1995 | 78.5 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Ireland | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 33.5 | 47.3 |
| 2027 | 30.8 | 46.2 |
| 2028 | 28.7 | 47 |
| 2029 | 26.9 | 48.2 |
| 2030 | 25.3 | 49.2 |
| 2031 | 24.1 | 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.
- 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
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