Mexico vs South Korea: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 0.74% of GDP in Mexico and 2.6% of GDP in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 1.86 percentage points, or 3.53 times that in Mexico.
MexicoSouth Korea
Watch it change on the map% of GDP · SIPRI
Latest figures
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 0.74 2025 | 0.45 | 129 of 151 |
| South Korea | 2.6 2025 | 2.38 | 34 of 151 |
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1953.
- In 2025, Mexico ranked 129 and South Korea ranked 34 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Mexico | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.74 | 2.6 |
| 2024 | 1.13 | 2.54 |
| 2023 | 0.66 | 2.6 |
| 2022 | 0.69 | 2.58 |
| 2021 | 0.66 | 2.62 |
| 2020 | 0.72 | 2.64 |
| 2019 | 0.51 | 2.52 |
| 2018 | 0.46 | 2.36 |
| 2017 | 0.42 | 2.3 |
| 2016 | 0.48 | 2.34 |
| 2015 | 0.45 | 2.38 |
| 2014 | 0.5 | 2.41 |
| 2013 | 0.49 | 2.39 |
| 2012 | 0.46 | 2.39 |
| 2011 | 0.45 | 2.37 |
| 2010 | 0.43 | 2.36 |
| 2009 | 0.48 | 2.5 |
| 2008 | 0.37 | 2.39 |
| 2007 | 0.38 | 2.27 |
| 2006 | 0.3 | 2.3 |
| 2005 | 0.34 | 2.28 |
| 2004 | 0.35 | 2.17 |
| 2003 | 0.39 | 2.18 |
| 2002 | 0.39 | 2.17 |
| 2001 | 0.41 | 2.28 |
| 2000 | 0.41 | 2.31 |
| 1999 | 0.42 | 2.49 |
| 1998 | 0.41 | 2.79 |
| 1997 | 0.42 | 2.66 |
| 1996 | 0.44 | 2.74 |
| 1995 | 0.41 | 2.89 |
| 1994 | 0.48 | 3.19 |
| 1993 | 0.4 | 3.42 |
| 1992 | 0.47 | 3.69 |
| 1991 | 0.44 | 3.71 |
| 1990 | 0.43 | 4 |
| 1989 | 0.52 | 4.29 |
| 1988 | 0.54 | 4.28 |
| 1987 | 0.58 | 4.47 |
| 1986 | 0.63 | 4.95 |
| 1985 | 0.68 | 5.23 |
| 1984 | 0.66 | 5.26 |
| 1983 | 0.52 | 5.73 |
| 1982 | 0.5 | 6.24 |
| 1981 | 0.51 | 6.42 |
| 1980 | 0.42 | 6.4 |
| 1979 | 0.51 | 5.53 |
| 1978 | 0.5 | 6.37 |
| 1977 | 0.53 | 6.04 |
| 1976 | 0.6 | 5.91 |
| 1975 | 0.57 | 4.88 |
| 1974 | 0.57 | 4.54 |
| 1973 | 0.54 | 4.04 |
| 1972 | 0.54 | 5.01 |
| 1971 | 0.49 | 4.74 |
| 1970 | 0.5 | 4.4 |
| 1969 | 0.6 | 4.69 |
| 1968 | 0.55 | 4.73 |
| 1967 | 0.55 | 4.69 |
| 1966 | 0.58 | 4.69 |
| 1965 | 0.59 | 4.41 |
| 1964 | 0.68 | 4.13 |
| 1963 | 0.72 | 4.82 |
| 1962 | 0.69 | 6.87 |
| 1961 | 0.65 | 6.73 |
| 1960 | 0.67 | 7.16 |
| 1959 | 0.64 | 7.64 |
| 1958 | 0.69 | 7.43 |
| 1957 | 0.73 | 6.8 |
| 1956 | 0.74 | 8.33 |
| 1955 | 0.79 | 6.24 |
| 1954 | 0.88 | 5.85 |
| 1953 | 0.81 | 2.36 |
| 1952 | 0.72 | – |
| 1951 | 0.76 | – |
| 1950 | 0.86 | – |
| 1949 | 0.88 | – |
- 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