Malaysia vs South Korea: Military spending

Military spending in 2025: 1.04% of GDP in Malaysia and 2.6% of GDP in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 1.57 percentage points, or 2.51 times that in Malaysia.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · SIPRI

MalaysiaSouth KoreaSIPRI estimate

What the numbers say

South Korea has been higher since 2005, when it overtook Malaysia.
In 2025, Malaysia ranked 110 and South Korea ranked 34 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

Year	Malaysia	South Korea
2025	1.04	2.6
2024	1.04	2.54
2023	0.98	2.6
2022	0.9	2.58
2021	0.98	2.62
2020	1	2.64
2019	0.89	2.52
2018	0.96	2.36
2017	1.1	2.3
2016	1.38	2.34
2015	1.5	2.38
2014	1.46	2.41
2013	1.5	2.39
2012	1.41	2.39
2011	1.55	2.37
2010	1.49	2.36
2009	1.87	2.5
2008	1.83	2.39
2007	1.96	2.27
2006	2.01	2.3
2005	2.17	2.28
2004	2.26	2.17
2003	2.62	2.18
2002	2.22	2.17
2001	2.09	2.28
2000	1.64	2.31
1999	2.1	2.49
1998	1.61	2.79
1997	2.09	2.66
1996	2.4	2.74
1995	2.75	2.89
1994	2.85	3.19
1993	2.88	3.42
1992	2.99	3.69
1991	3.2	3.71
1990	2.56	4
1989	2.62	4.29
1988	2.43	4.28
1987	4.15	4.47
1986	3.22	4.95
1985	3.45	5.23
1984	3.75	5.26
1983	4.42	5.73
1982	5.37	6.24
1981	5.79	6.42
1980	4.23	6.4
1979	3.67	5.53
1978	3.71	6.37
1977	4.86	6.04
1976	3.98	5.91
1975	4.72	4.88
1974	4.18	4.54
1973	3.87	4.04
1972	4.98	5.01
1971	5.37	4.74
1970	5.17	4.4
1969	3.92	4.69
1968	4.45	4.73
1967	4.5	4.69
1966	4.73	4.69
1965	4.01	4.41
1964	3.16	4.13
1963	2.42	4.82
1962	2.19	6.87
1961	2.23	6.73
1960	2.68	7.16
1959	3.08	7.64
1958	4.07	7.43
1957	3.75	6.8
1956	–	8.33
1955	–	6.24
1954	–	5.85
1953	–	2.36

Estimate

Each country on its own

Good to know

What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, as a share of its economy, 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 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

Malaysia vs South Korea: Military spending

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

Malaysia vs South Korea

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment