Papua New Guinea vs South Korea
Papua New Guinea vs South Korea: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 0.35% of GDP in Papua New Guinea and 2.6% of GDP in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 2.25 percentage points, or 7.43 times that in Papua New Guinea.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1975.
- In 2025, Papua New Guinea ranked 145 and South Korea ranked 34 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Papua New Guinea | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.35 | 2.6 |
| 2024 | 0.31 | 2.54 |
| 2023 | 0.35 | 2.6 |
| 2022 | 0.42 | 2.58 |
| 2021 | 0.33 | 2.62 |
| 2020 | 0.39 | 2.64 |
| 2019 | 0.36 | 2.52 |
| 2018 | 0.33 | 2.36 |
| 2017 | 0.36 | 2.3 |
| 2016 | 0.38 | 2.34 |
| 2015 | 0.46 | 2.38 |
| 2014 | 0.48 | 2.41 |
| 2013 | 0.49 | 2.39 |
| 2012 | 0.52 | 2.39 |
| 2011 | 0.36 | 2.37 |
| 2010 | 0.33 | 2.36 |
| 2009 | 0.45 | 2.5 |
| 2008 | 0.34 | 2.39 |
| 2007 | 0.41 | 2.27 |
| 2006 | 0.38 | 2.3 |
| 2005 | 0.42 | 2.28 |
| 2004 | 0.39 | 2.17 |
| 2003 | 0.35 | 2.18 |
| 2002 | 0.37 | 2.17 |
| 2001 | 0.55 | 2.28 |
| 2000 | 0.64 | 2.31 |
| 1999 | 0.69 | 2.49 |
| 1998 | 0.88 | 2.79 |
| 1997 | 1.08 | 2.66 |
| 1996 | 1.02 | 2.74 |
| 1995 | 0.78 | 2.89 |
| 1994 | 1.01 | 3.19 |
| 1993 | 0.92 | 3.42 |
| 1992 | 0.89 | 3.69 |
| 1991 | 0.92 | 3.71 |
| 1990 | 1.42 | 4 |
| 1989 | 1.5 | 4.29 |
| 1988 | 1.27 | 4.28 |
| 1987 | 1.61 | 4.47 |
| 1986 | 1.57 | 4.95 |
| 1985 | 1.56 | 5.23 |
| 1984 | – | 5.26 |
| 1983 | – | 5.73 |
| 1982 | – | 6.24 |
| 1981 | 1.41 | 6.42 |
| 1980 | 1.4 | 6.4 |
| 1979 | 1.21 | 5.53 |
| 1978 | 1.27 | 6.37 |
| 1977 | 1.25 | 6.04 |
| 1976 | 1.63 | 5.91 |
| 1975 | 0.6 | 4.88 |
| 1974 | – | 4.54 |
| 1973 | – | 4.04 |
| 1972 | – | 5.01 |
| 1971 | – | 4.74 |
| 1970 | – | 4.4 |
| 1969 | – | 4.69 |
| 1968 | – | 4.73 |
| 1967 | – | 4.69 |
| 1966 | – | 4.69 |
| 1965 | – | 4.41 |
| 1964 | – | 4.13 |
| 1963 | – | 4.82 |
| 1962 | – | 6.87 |
| 1961 | – | 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
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
Papua New Guinea vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyPapua New Guinea: 66.1 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityPapua New Guinea: 3.9 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityPapua New Guinea: 32.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionPapua New Guinea: 3.17% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide ratePapua New Guinea: 23.1 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationPapua New Guinea: 10.4 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthPapua New Guinea: 1.8% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility ratePapua New Guinea: 3.1 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationPapua New Guinea: 15.8% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median agePapua New Guinea: 22.3 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overPapua New Guinea: 3.3% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration ratePapua New Guinea: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personPapua New Guinea: $2,665 in 2025South Korea: $37,470 in 2025
- GDP growthPapua New Guinea: 3.9% a year in 2024South Korea: 1.1% a year in 2025
- InflationPapua New Guinea: 4.4% a year in 2025South Korea: 2.1% a year in 2025
- Government debtPapua New Guinea: 51.6% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 49.6% of GDP in 2024
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsPapua New Guinea: $110M in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personPapua New Guinea: $10 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingPapua New Guinea: 1.6% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelPapua New Guinea: 4,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerPapua New Guinea: 0.03% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersPapua New Guinea: 0.12% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsPapua New Guinea: 9 million TIV in 2023South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
Climate
Technology and environment
- CO₂ per personPapua New Guinea: 0.52 tonnes in 2024South Korea: 11.36 tonnes in 2024
- Internet usersPapua New Guinea: 18.8% in 2024South Korea: 97.9% in 2024
- Access to electricityPapua New Guinea: 43.3% in 2024South Korea: 100% in 2024
- Forest areaPapua New Guinea: 75.2% in 2024South Korea: 64.4% in 2024