Compare
Philippines vs South Korea
How Philippines and South Korea compare on 39 measures, from 1789 to 2025. The main differences:
- Life expectancy · In 2023, South Korea was higher: 84.3 years against 69.8 years
- GDP per person · In 2025, South Korea was higher: $37,470 against $4,066
- Population · In 2023, Philippines was higher: 115 million people against 51.8 million people
- Military spending · In 2025, South Korea was higher: 2.6% of GDP against 1.3% of GDP
- CO₂ per person · In 2024, South Korea was higher: 11.36 tonnes against 1.5 tonnes
- Life expectancyPhilippines: 69.8 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- PopulationPhilippines: 115 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- GDP per personPhilippines: $4,066 in 2025South Korea: $37,470 in 2025
- TemperaturePhilippines: 26.3 °C in 2025South Korea: 13.5 °C in 2025
Every measure
Health
- Life expectancyPhilippines: 69.8 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityPhilippines: 2.7 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityPhilippines: 20.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterPhilippines: 47.9% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionPhilippines: 2.77% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide ratePhilippines: 6 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationPhilippines: 115 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthPhilippines: 0.84% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility ratePhilippines: 1.92 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationPhilippines: 55.8% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median agePhilippines: 25.3 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overPhilippines: 5.3% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration ratePhilippines: -1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingPhilippines: 1.3% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsPhilippines: $6.3B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personPhilippines: $55 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingPhilippines: 5.4% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelPhilippines: 157,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerPhilippines: 0.68% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersPhilippines: 0.37% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsPhilippines: 846 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsPhilippines: 4 million TIV in 2007South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025
Climate
Technology and environment
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Sources: UN, Gapminder and UN IGME, WHO/UNICEF, IHME, World Bank, IMF, UNESCO, Our World in Data, V-Dem, UCDP, SIPRI, IISS, Correlates of War, ERA5, CMIP6, EDGAR, ITU and FAO. Each measure’s page names its own and what it counts.
- Values are drawn on today’s borders. Years without a published value are left empty, never filled in.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time