Myanmar (Burma) vs South Korea
Myanmar (Burma) vs South Korea: Military spending
Military spending: 6.61% of GDP in Myanmar (Burma) in 2024 and 2.6% of GDP in South Korea in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Myanmar (Burma), by 4.07 percentage points, or 2.6 times that in South Korea.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Myanmar (Burma) has been higher since 2020, when it overtook South Korea.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Myanmar (Burma) | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | 2.6 |
| 2024 | 6.61 | 2.54 |
| 2023 | 3.73 | 2.6 |
| 2022 | 3.82 | 2.58 |
| 2021 | 4.41 | 2.62 |
| 2020 | 3.28 | 2.64 |
| 2019 | 2.05 | 2.52 |
| 2018 | 2.18 | 2.36 |
| 2017 | 3.36 | 2.3 |
| 2016 | 3.81 | 2.34 |
| 2015 | 4.08 | 2.38 |
| 2014 | 3.58 | 2.41 |
| 2013 | 3.89 | 2.39 |
| 2012 | 3.9 | 2.39 |
| 2011 | – | 2.37 |
| 2010 | – | 2.36 |
| 2009 | – | 2.5 |
| 2008 | – | 2.39 |
| 2007 | – | 2.27 |
| 2006 | – | 2.3 |
| 2005 | 1.58 | 2.28 |
| 2004 | 1.81 | 2.17 |
| 2003 | 1.96 | 2.18 |
| 2002 | 1.4 | 2.17 |
| 2001 | 1.84 | 2.28 |
| 2000 | 2.18 | 2.31 |
| 1999 | 2.02 | 2.49 |
| 1998 | 2.4 | 2.79 |
| 1997 | 2.31 | 2.66 |
| 1996 | 3.49 | 2.74 |
| 1995 | 3.69 | 2.89 |
| 1994 | 3.54 | 3.19 |
| 1993 | 3.52 | 3.42 |
| 1992 | 3.36 | 3.69 |
| 1991 | 3.17 | 3.71 |
| 1990 | 3.4 | 4 |
| 1989 | 2.96 | 4.29 |
| 1988 | 2.14 | 4.28 |
| 1987 | 1.97 | 4.47 |
| 1986 | 2.88 | 4.95 |
| 1985 | 2.98 | 5.23 |
| 1984 | 2.92 | 5.26 |
| 1983 | 3.07 | 5.73 |
| 1982 | 3.22 | 6.24 |
| 1981 | 3.46 | 6.42 |
| 1980 | 3.42 | 6.4 |
| 1979 | 3.56 | 5.53 |
| 1978 | 3.92 | 6.37 |
| 1977 | 4.04 | 6.04 |
| 1976 | 3.79 | 5.91 |
| 1975 | 3.78 | 4.88 |
| 1974 | 4.02 | 4.54 |
| 1973 | 5.11 | 4.04 |
| 1972 | 5.45 | 5.01 |
| 1971 | 5.65 | 4.74 |
| 1970 | 5.6 | 4.4 |
| 1969 | 5.31 | 4.69 |
| 1968 | 5.02 | 4.73 |
| 1967 | 5.2 | 4.69 |
| 1966 | 6.13 | 4.69 |
| 1965 | 6.7 | 4.41 |
| 1964 | 6.02 | 4.13 |
| 1963 | 6.85 | 4.82 |
| 1962 | 5.69 | 6.87 |
| 1961 | 6.12 | 6.73 |
| 1960 | – | 7.16 |
| 1959 | – | 7.64 |
| 1958 | – | 7.43 |
| 1957 | – | 6.8 |
| 1956 | – | 8.33 |
| 1955 | – | 6.24 |
| 1954 | – | 5.85 |
| 1953 | – | 2.36 |
- Estimate
- Highly uncertain
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
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 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
- Military share of state spendingMyanmar (Burma): 32% of government spending in 2024South Korea: 10.8% of government spending 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