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.
Myanmar (Burma)South Korea
Watch it change on the map% of GDP · SIPRI
Latest figures
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myanmar (Burma) | 6.61 2024 | 3.58 | — |
| South Korea | 2.6 2025 | 2.38 | 34 of 151 |
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