Italy vs South Korea
Italy vs South Korea: Government debt
Government debt: 137.1% of GDP in Italy in 2025 and 49.6% of GDP in South Korea in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Italy, by 85.1 percentage points, or 2.72 times that in South Korea.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Italy has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2012.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Italy at 135.6% of GDP and South Korea at 49.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Italy | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 137.1 | 52.4 |
| 2024 | 134.7 | 49.6 |
| 2023 | 133.9 | 50.6 |
| 2022 | 138.4 | 49.7 |
| 2021 | 145.8 | 48 |
| 2020 | 154.4 | 45.9 |
| 2019 | 133.9 | 39.7 |
| 2018 | 134.2 | 37.9 |
| 2017 | 133.7 | 38 |
| 2016 | 134.2 | 39.1 |
| 2015 | 134.8 | 38.8 |
| 2014 | 134.8 | 37.9 |
| 2013 | 131.9 | 36 |
| 2012 | 125.9 | 33.5 |
| 2011 | 119.1 | – |
| 2010 | 118.8 | – |
| 2009 | 116.1 | – |
| 2008 | 105.8 | – |
| 2007 | 103.5 | – |
| 2006 | 106.3 | – |
| 2005 | 106.2 | – |
| 2004 | 104.7 | – |
| 2003 | 105.1 | – |
| 2002 | 105.9 | – |
| 2001 | 108.5 | – |
| 2000 | 108.7 | – |
| 1999 | 113.1 | – |
| 1998 | 113.9 | – |
| 1997 | 116.5 | – |
| 1996 | 118.9 | – |
| 1995 | 119.1 | – |
| 1994 | 130.8 | – |
| 1993 | 124.1 | – |
| 1992 | 113 | – |
| 1991 | 105.3 | – |
| 1990 | 101.7 | – |
| 1989 | 98.4 | – |
| 1988 | 95.7 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Italy | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 137.9 | 47.3 |
| 2027 | 137.6 | 46.2 |
| 2028 | 137 | 47 |
| 2029 | 136.2 | 48.2 |
| 2030 | 135.8 | 49.2 |
| 2031 | 135.6 | 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
Italy vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyItaly: 83.7 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityItaly: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityItaly: 2.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterItaly: 92.7% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionItaly: 3.46% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateItaly: 4.8 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationItaly: 59.5 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthItaly: -0.22% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateItaly: 1.2 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationItaly: 69.7% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageItaly: 47.5 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overItaly: 24.2% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateItaly: 2.5 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingItaly: 1.89% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsItaly: $45.4B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personItaly: $813 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingItaly: 3.7% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelItaly: 338,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerItaly: 0.96% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersItaly: 1.35% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsItaly: 566 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsItaly: 1.92 billion TIV in 2025South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025