Mexico vs South Korea
Mexico vs South Korea: Government debt
Government debt: 61.7% of GDP in Mexico in 2025 and 49.6% of GDP in South Korea in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Mexico, by 9.4 percentage points, or 1.19 times that in South Korea.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Mexico has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2012.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Mexico at 64.5% of GDP and South Korea at 49.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Mexico | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 61.7 | 52.4 |
| 2024 | 59 | 49.6 |
| 2023 | 52.7 | 50.6 |
| 2022 | 53.8 | 49.7 |
| 2021 | 56.7 | 48 |
| 2020 | 58.5 | 45.9 |
| 2019 | 51.9 | 39.7 |
| 2018 | 52.2 | 37.9 |
| 2017 | 52.5 | 38 |
| 2016 | 55 | 39.1 |
| 2015 | 51 | 38.8 |
| 2014 | 47.1 | 37.9 |
| 2013 | 44.1 | 36 |
| 2012 | 40.8 | 33.5 |
| 2011 | 41.2 | – |
| 2010 | 40.2 | – |
| 2009 | 41.7 | – |
| 2008 | 40.6 | – |
| 2007 | 35.5 | – |
| 2006 | 35.8 | – |
| 2005 | 36.8 | – |
| 2004 | 38.9 | – |
| 2003 | 42.1 | – |
| 2002 | 39.9 | – |
| 2001 | 37.3 | – |
| 2000 | 38.5 | – |
| 1999 | 41.7 | – |
| 1998 | 39.7 | – |
| 1997 | 39.1 | – |
| 1996 | 42.5 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Mexico | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 62.1 | 47.3 |
| 2027 | 62.9 | 46.2 |
| 2028 | 63.4 | 47 |
| 2029 | 64 | 48.2 |
| 2030 | 64.3 | 49.2 |
| 2031 | 64.5 | 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
Mexico vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyMexico: 75.1 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMexico: 1.3 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMexico: 10.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterMexico: 43% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionMexico: 2.79% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateMexico: 5.9 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMexico: 130 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthMexico: 0.88% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMexico: 1.91 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMexico: 80% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageMexico: 28.9 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMexico: 8% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateMexico: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMexico: 0.74% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMexico: $13.8B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personMexico: $104 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMexico: 2.5% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelMexico: 341,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerMexico: 1.14% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMexico: 0.64% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMexico: 9 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsMexico: 1 million TIV in 2019South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025