Pakistan vs South Korea
Pakistan vs South Korea: Government debt
Government debt: 72.8% of GDP in Pakistan in 2025 and 49.6% of GDP in South Korea in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Pakistan, by 20.7 percentage points, or 1.42 times that in South Korea.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Pakistan has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2012.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Pakistan at 57.4% of GDP and South Korea at 49.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Pakistan | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 72.8 | 52.4 |
| 2024 | 70.3 | 49.6 |
| 2023 | 78.5 | 50.6 |
| 2022 | 77.3 | 49.7 |
| 2021 | 74.8 | 48 |
| 2020 | 80.8 | 45.9 |
| 2019 | 78.7 | 39.7 |
| 2018 | 66.3 | 37.9 |
| 2017 | 62.1 | 38 |
| 2016 | 62.1 | 39.1 |
| 2015 | 59.1 | 38.8 |
| 2014 | 58.8 | 37.9 |
| 2013 | 59.2 | 36 |
| 2012 | 58.4 | 33.5 |
| 2011 | 56.2 | – |
| 2010 | 56.7 | – |
| 2009 | 54.6 | – |
| 2008 | 49.5 | – |
| 2007 | 44.2 | – |
| 2006 | 46.2 | – |
| 2005 | 47.9 | – |
| 2004 | 50.6 | – |
| 2003 | 56.3 | – |
| 2002 | 60.5 | – |
| 2001 | 65.2 | – |
| 2000 | 61.7 | – |
| 1999 | 60.7 | – |
| 1998 | 53.8 | – |
| 1997 | 52.8 | – |
| 1996 | 52.5 | – |
| 1995 | 52.3 | – |
| 1994 | 58.5 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Pakistan | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 69.9 | 47.3 |
| 2027 | 67.7 | 46.2 |
| 2028 | 64.5 | 47 |
| 2029 | 61.3 | 48.2 |
| 2030 | 59.6 | 49.2 |
| 2031 | 57.4 | 49.7 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- 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 149 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
Pakistan vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyPakistan: 67.7 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityPakistan: 5.6 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityPakistan: 49.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterPakistan: 50.6% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionPakistan: 3.33% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide ratePakistan: 4.4 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationPakistan: 248 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthPakistan: 1.48% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility ratePakistan: 3.61 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationPakistan: 39.5% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median agePakistan: 20.3 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overPakistan: 4.2% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration ratePakistan: -6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingPakistan: 2.91% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsPakistan: $11.5B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personPakistan: $47 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingPakistan: 13.8% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelPakistan: 943,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerPakistan: 1.77% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersPakistan: 1.25% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsPakistan: 706 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsPakistan: 127 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025