Malaysia vs South Korea
Malaysia vs South Korea: Government debt
Government debt: 70.5% of GDP in Malaysia in 2025 and 49.6% of GDP in South Korea in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Malaysia, by 20.3 percentage points, or 1.41 times that in South Korea.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Malaysia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2012.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Malaysia at 65.1% of GDP and South Korea at 49.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Malaysia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 70.5 | 52.4 |
| 2024 | 69.8 | 49.6 |
| 2023 | 69.7 | 50.6 |
| 2022 | 65.5 | 49.7 |
| 2021 | 69.2 | 48 |
| 2020 | 67.7 | 45.9 |
| 2019 | 57.1 | 39.7 |
| 2018 | 55.7 | 37.9 |
| 2017 | 54.4 | 38 |
| 2016 | 55.8 | 39.1 |
| 2015 | 57 | 38.8 |
| 2014 | 55.4 | 37.9 |
| 2013 | 55.7 | 36 |
| 2012 | 53.8 | 33.5 |
| 2011 | 51.9 | – |
| 2010 | 51.2 | – |
| 2009 | 50.4 | – |
| 2008 | 39.4 | – |
| 2007 | 39.4 | – |
| 2006 | 39.7 | – |
| 2005 | 40.8 | – |
| 2004 | 42 | – |
| 2003 | 41.4 | – |
| 2002 | 39.5 | – |
| 2001 | 38.1 | – |
| 2000 | 32.5 | – |
| 1999 | 34.4 | – |
| 1998 | 33.6 | – |
| 1997 | 29.6 | – |
| 1996 | 32.8 | – |
| 1995 | 38.2 | – |
| 1994 | 43.7 | – |
| 1993 | 51.1 | – |
| 1992 | 59.1 | – |
| 1991 | 67.3 | – |
| 1990 | 74.1 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Malaysia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 69.2 | 47.3 |
| 2027 | 68.8 | 46.2 |
| 2028 | 67.7 | 47 |
| 2029 | 66.7 | 48.2 |
| 2030 | 65.9 | 49.2 |
| 2031 | 65.1 | 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
Malaysia vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyMalaysia: 76.7 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMalaysia: 0.8 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMalaysia: 6.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterMalaysia: 93.9% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionMalaysia: 3.52% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateMalaysia: 7.8 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMalaysia: 35.1 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthMalaysia: 1.24% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMalaysia: 1.55 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMalaysia: 77.4% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageMalaysia: 30.1 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMalaysia: 7.5% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateMalaysia: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMalaysia: 1.04% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMalaysia: $4.55B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personMalaysia: $138 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMalaysia: 4.4% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelMalaysia: 136,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerMalaysia: 0.46% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMalaysia: 0.81% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMalaysia: 7 million TIV in 2024South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsMalaysia: 20 million TIV in 2024South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025