Mexico vs South Korea
Mexico vs South Korea: Inflation
Inflation in 2025: 3.8% a year in Mexico and 2.1% a year in South Korea, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Mexico, by 1.7 percentage points, or 1.8 times that in South Korea.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Mexico has been higher since 2012, when it overtook South Korea.
- In 2025, Mexico ranked 62 and South Korea ranked 113 of 179 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Mexico at 3% a year and South Korea at 2% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Mexico | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.8 | 2.1 |
| 2024 | 4.7 | 2.3 |
| 2023 | 5.5 | 3.6 |
| 2022 | 7.9 | 5.1 |
| 2021 | 5.7 | 2.5 |
| 2020 | 3.4 | 0.5 |
| 2019 | 3.6 | 0.4 |
| 2018 | 4.9 | 1.5 |
| 2017 | 6 | 1.9 |
| 2016 | 2.8 | 1 |
| 2015 | 2.7 | 0.7 |
| 2014 | 4 | 1.3 |
| 2013 | 3.8 | 1.3 |
| 2012 | 4.1 | 2.2 |
| 2011 | 3.4 | 4 |
| 2010 | 4.2 | 2.9 |
| 2009 | 5.3 | 2.8 |
| 2008 | 5.1 | 4.7 |
| 2007 | 4 | 2.5 |
| 2006 | 3.6 | 2.2 |
| 2005 | 4 | 2.8 |
| 2004 | 4.7 | 3.6 |
| 2003 | 4.6 | 3.5 |
| 2002 | 5 | 2.8 |
| 2001 | 6.4 | 4.1 |
| 2000 | 9.5 | 2.3 |
| 1999 | 16.6 | 0.8 |
| 1998 | 15.9 | 7.5 |
| 1997 | 20.6 | 4.4 |
| 1996 | 34.4 | 4.9 |
| 1995 | 35.1 | 4.5 |
| 1994 | 7 | 6.3 |
| 1993 | 9.8 | 4.8 |
| 1992 | 15.5 | 6.2 |
| 1991 | 22.6 | 9.3 |
| 1990 | 26.7 | 8.6 |
| 1989 | 19.9 | 5.7 |
| 1988 | 113.5 | 7.1 |
| 1987 | 132 | 3 |
| 1986 | 86.5 | 2.8 |
| 1985 | 57.8 | 2.5 |
| 1984 | 65.4 | 2.3 |
| 1983 | 101.8 | 3.4 |
| 1982 | 59.1 | 7.2 |
| 1981 | 28 | 21.4 |
| 1980 | 26.5 | 28.7 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Mexico | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3.8 | 2.7 |
| 2027 | 3.6 | 2.3 |
| 2028 | 3.1 | 2 |
| 2029 | 3 | 2 |
| 2030 | 3 | 2 |
| 2031 | 3 | 2 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much consumer prices rose in a year, on average.
- 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 179 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