Italy vs South Korea
Italy vs South Korea: Military spending per person
Military spending per person in 2025: $813 in Italy and $924 in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by $112, or 1.14 times that in Italy.
US dollars per person · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher since 2010, when it overtook Italy.
- In 2025, Italy ranked 30 and South Korea ranked 25 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars per person · SIPRI
| Year | Italy | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $813 | $924 |
| 2024 | $637 | $920 |
| 2023 | $596 | $924 |
| 2022 | $564 | $895 |
| 2021 | $586 | $980 |
| 2020 | $527 | $890 |
| 2019 | $419 | $853 |
| 2018 | $459 | $835 |
| 2017 | $416 | $762 |
| 2016 | $404 | $721 |
| 2015 | $359 | $720 |
| 2014 | $447 | $747 |
| 2013 | $494 | $689 |
| 2012 | $493 | $647 |
| 2011 | $561 | $634 |
| 2010 | $533 | $579 |
| 2009 | $570 | $507 |
| 2008 | $621 | $540 |
| 2007 | $543 | $577 |
| 2006 | $505 | $525 |
| 2005 | $509 | $464 |
| 2004 | $522 | $375 |
| 2003 | $466 | $334 |
| 2002 | $377 | $299 |
| 2001 | $341 | $276 |
| 2000 | $347 | $296 |
| 1999 | $367 | $261 |
| 1998 | $364 | $227 |
| 1997 | $353 | $324 |
| 1996 | $364 | $361 |
| 1995 | $298 | $356 |
| 1994 | $316 | $300 |
| 1993 | $319 | $277 |
| 1992 | $389 | $261 |
| 1991 | $378 | $247 |
| 1990 | $364 | $231 |
| 1989 | $310 | $219 |
| 1988 | $306 | $181 |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence for each person living there, in US dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation.
- 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 151 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 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