Japan vs South Korea
Japan vs South Korea: Arms exports
Arms exports in 2025: 28 million TIV in Japan and 2.02 billion TIV in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 1.99 billion TIV, or 72 times that in Japan.
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher since 2007.
- The world as a whole: 33.5 billion TIV in 2025.
Every year
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
| Year | Japan | South Korea | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 28 million | 2.02 billion | 33.5 billion |
| 2024 | 21 million | 1.1 billion | 30.7 billion |
| 2023 | 13 million | 675 million | 29.5 billion |
| 2022 | – | 231 million | 33.3 billion |
| 2021 | – | 536 million | 27.1 billion |
| 2020 | – | 829 million | 24.1 billion |
| 2019 | – | 675 million | 27 billion |
| 2018 | 3 million | 1.05 billion | 27.4 billion |
| 2017 | 2 million | 700 million | 31.3 billion |
| 2016 | – | 435 million | 31.5 billion |
| 2015 | – | 92 million | 28.7 billion |
| 2014 | – | 218 million | 27.1 billion |
| 2013 | – | 350 million | 27.4 billion |
| 2012 | – | 203 million | 27.9 billion |
| 2011 | – | 328 million | 29.9 billion |
| 2010 | – | 177 million | 25.8 billion |
| 2009 | – | 224 million | 24.4 billion |
| 2008 | – | 110 million | 24.1 billion |
| 2007 | 40 million | 278 million | 26.5 billion |
| 2006 | – | 158 million | 24.5 billion |
| 2005 | – | 109 million | 21.4 billion |
| 2004 | – | 74 million | 21.3 billion |
| 2003 | – | 96 million | 19.2 billion |
| 2002 | – | – | 17.7 billion |
| 2001 | – | 230 million | 18.5 billion |
| 2000 | – | 36 million | 20.5 billion |
| 1999 | – | – | 25.4 billion |
| 1998 | – | 32 million | 27.9 billion |
| 1997 | 25 million | 25 million | 28.9 billion |
| 1996 | 165 million | 24 million | 23.7 billion |
| 1995 | 126 million | 30 million | 22.9 billion |
| 1994 | 130 million | 7 million | 23 billion |
| 1993 | 122 million | 62 million | 25.8 billion |
| 1992 | 101 million | – | 24.3 billion |
| 1991 | 54 million | 118 million | 28.2 billion |
| 1990 | 30 million | 72 million | 30.2 billion |
| 1989 | 15 million | 48 million | 34.9 billion |
| 1988 | – | 54 million | 36.8 billion |
| 1987 | – | – | 39.4 billion |
| 1986 | 92 million | 73 million | 39 billion |
| 1985 | 44 million | 28 million | 38.2 billion |
| 1984 | 17 million | 126 million | 41.6 billion |
| 1983 | 17 million | – | 43.9 billion |
| 1982 | – | 65 million | 46.2 billion |
| 1981 | – | 130 million | 45.8 billion |
| 1980 | 167 million | 105 million | 42.2 billion |
| 1979 | 11 million | 105 million | 38.4 billion |
| 1978 | 9 million | – | 42.4 billion |
| 1977 | – | – | 40 billion |
| 1976 | – | – | 36 billion |
| 1975 | – | – | 37.2 billion |
| 1974 | 55 million | – | 36.6 billion |
| 1973 | 36 million | – | 36.3 billion |
| 1972 | 9 million | 141 million | 34.5 billion |
| 1971 | 15 million | – | 32.9 billion |
| 1970 | – | – | 25.3 billion |
| 1969 | 31 million | – | 28.1 billion |
| 1968 | – | – | 26.1 billion |
| 1967 | – | – | 25.6 billion |
| 1966 | 5 million | – | 25.8 billion |
| 1965 | – | – | 25.8 billion |
| 1964 | 14 million | – | 26.7 billion |
| 1963 | 8 million | – | 20.3 billion |
| 1962 | 100 million | – | 17.5 billion |
| 1961 | 61 million | – | 16.4 billion |
| 1960 | 1 million | – | 17.6 billion |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Major weapons the country sent abroad, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV): what the arms are worth as military capability, priced by their production cost, not what was paid.
- Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, via the World Bank.
- 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
Japan vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyJapan: 84.7 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityJapan: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityJapan: 1.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterJapan: 98.7% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionJapan: 3.34% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateJapan: 15.7 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationJapan: 124 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthJapan: -0.48% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateJapan: 1.21 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationJapan: 92.3% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageJapan: 49 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overJapan: 29.6% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateJapan: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingJapan: 1.41% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsJapan: $59.5B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personJapan: $504 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingJapan: 3.8% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelJapan: 261,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerJapan: 2.47% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersJapan: 0.38% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsJapan: 1.72 billion TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025