Israel vs South Korea
Israel vs South Korea: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 4.23% of the labour force in Israel and 2.01% of the labour force in South Korea, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Israel, by 2.23 percentage points, or 2.11 times that in South Korea.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Israel has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- In 2020, Israel ranked 7 and South Korea ranked 26 of 168 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 0.79% of the labour force in 2020.
Every year
% of the labour force · IISS
| Year | Israel | South Korea | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4.23 | 2.01 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 4.21 | 2.15 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 4.25 | 2.15 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 4.35 | 2.26 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 4.58 | 2.28 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 4.68 | 2.31 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 4.77 | 2.33 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 4.9 | 2.5 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 4.97 | 2.54 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 5.24 | 2.59 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 5.31 | 2.64 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 5.44 | 2.67 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 5.58 | 2.81 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 5.69 | 2.83 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 5.84 | 2.86 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 5.7 | 2.89 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 5.84 | 2.92 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 5.96 | 2.95 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 5.92 | 2.96 | 1 |
| 2001 | 6.04 | 3 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 6.53 | 3.05 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 6.75 | 3.06 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 7.04 | 3.09 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 7.16 | 3.04 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 7.32 | 3.07 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 7.34 | 3.01 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 7.91 | 3.6 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 8.08 | 3.71 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 8.52 | 3.77 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 9.39 | 3.85 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 10.08 | 3.44 | 1.11 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel as a share of everyone working or looking for work, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 168 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Israel vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyIsrael: 82.4 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIsrael: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIsrael: 2.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterIsrael: 99.5% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionIsrael: 3.83% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateIsrael: 5.7 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIsrael: 9.26 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthIsrael: 1.42% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIsrael: 2.83 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIsrael: 91.6% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageIsrael: 29.2 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIsrael: 12.4% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateIsrael: 1.1 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIsrael: 7.81% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIsrael: $43.7B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personIsrael: $5,108 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIsrael: 17.8% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIsrael: 178,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerIsrael: 0.38% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsIsrael: 537 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIsrael: 2.62 billion TIV in 2025South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025