Myanmar (Burma) vs South Korea
Myanmar (Burma) vs South Korea: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending: 32% of government spending in Myanmar (Burma) in 2024 and 10.8% of government spending in South Korea in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Myanmar (Burma), by 20.7 percentage points, or 2.84 times that in South Korea.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Myanmar (Burma) has been higher since 2020, when it overtook South Korea.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Myanmar (Burma) | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | 10.8 |
| 2024 | 32 | 11.3 |
| 2023 | 17.4 | 11.2 |
| 2022 | 17.9 | 9.7 |
| 2021 | 21.1 | 10.9 |
| 2020 | 13.8 | 11.2 |
| 2019 | 10.8 | 11.9 |
| 2018 | 11.2 | 12.3 |
| 2017 | 17.5 | 12.3 |
| 2016 | 17.5 | 12.6 |
| 2015 | 17.8 | 12.6 |
| 2014 | 15.9 | 12.8 |
| 2013 | 17.9 | 12.6 |
| 2012 | 21.5 | 12.7 |
| 2011 | – | 13 |
| 2010 | – | 13.2 |
| 2009 | – | 12.8 |
| 2008 | – | 12.5 |
| 2007 | – | 12.1 |
| 2006 | – | 12.3 |
| 2005 | 11.9 | 12.6 |
| 2004 | 13.7 | 11.7 |
| 2003 | 15 | 12.2 |
| 2002 | 10.1 | 13.7 |
| 2001 | 10.6 | 13.5 |
| 2000 | 11.2 | 14.4 |
| 1999 | 9.8 | 14.5 |
| 1998 | 10.5 | 16.4 |
| 1997 | – | 18.2 |
| 1996 | – | 18.5 |
| 1995 | – | 20.3 |
- Estimate
- Highly uncertain
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, 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 150 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
Myanmar (Burma) vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyMyanmar (Burma): 66.9 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMyanmar (Burma): 3.7 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMyanmar (Burma): 31.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterMyanmar (Burma): 57.4% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionMyanmar (Burma): 2.3% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateMyanmar (Burma): 5 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMyanmar (Burma): 54.1 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthMyanmar (Burma): 0.69% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMyanmar (Burma): 2.12 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMyanmar (Burma): 30.6% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageMyanmar (Burma): 29.5 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMyanmar (Burma): 7.1% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateMyanmar (Burma): -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personMyanmar (Burma): $1,128 in 2025South Korea: $37,470 in 2025
- GDP growthMyanmar (Burma): -12% a year in 2021South Korea: 1.1% a year in 2025
- InflationMyanmar (Burma): 27.6% a year in 2023South Korea: 2.1% a year in 2025
- Government debtMyanmar (Burma): 37.6% of GDP in 2019South Korea: 49.6% of GDP in 2024
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMyanmar (Burma): 6.61% of GDP in 2024South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMyanmar (Burma): $4.65B in 2024South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personMyanmar (Burma): $92 in 2024South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelMyanmar (Burma): 463,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerMyanmar (Burma): 0.53% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMyanmar (Burma): 1.94% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMyanmar (Burma): 70 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025