Israel vs South Korea
Israel vs South Korea: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 17.8% of government spending in Israel and 10.8% of government spending in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Israel, by 7 percentage points, or 1.65 times that in South Korea.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Israel has been higher since 2003, when it overtook South Korea.
- In 2025, Israel ranked 10 and South Korea ranked 24 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Israel | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17.8 | 10.8 |
| 2024 | 19.3 | 11.3 |
| 2023 | 13.4 | 11.2 |
| 2022 | 11.7 | 9.7 |
| 2021 | 12 | 10.9 |
| 2020 | 11.4 | 11.2 |
| 2019 | 12.8 | 11.9 |
| 2018 | 13.1 | 12.3 |
| 2017 | 13.7 | 12.3 |
| 2016 | 13.6 | 12.6 |
| 2015 | 14 | 12.6 |
| 2014 | 14.3 | 12.8 |
| 2013 | 13.3 | 12.6 |
| 2012 | 13.4 | 12.7 |
| 2011 | 13.8 | 13 |
| 2010 | 14.4 | 13.2 |
| 2009 | 14.3 | 12.8 |
| 2008 | 15 | 12.5 |
| 2007 | 15.1 | 12.1 |
| 2006 | 14 | 12.3 |
| 2005 | 14.1 | 12.6 |
| 2004 | 14.2 | 11.7 |
| 2003 | 13.6 | 12.2 |
| 2002 | 12.7 | 13.7 |
| 2001 | 13.5 | 13.5 |
| 2000 | 13.9 | 14.4 |
| 1999 | – | 14.5 |
| 1998 | – | 16.4 |
| 1997 | – | 18.2 |
| 1996 | – | 18.5 |
| 1995 | – | 20.3 |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, 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 150 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
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
- 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
- Armed forces, share of workersIsrael: 4.23% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- 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