Compare
Russia vs South Korea
How Russia 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 73.2 years
- GDP per person · In 2025, South Korea was higher: $37,470 against $11,220
- Population · In 2023, Russia was higher: 145 million people against 51.8 million people
- Military spending · In 2025, Russia was higher: 7.5% of GDP against 2.6% of GDP
- CO₂ per person · In 2024, Russia was higher: 13.98 tonnes against 11.36 tonnes
Every measure
Health
- Life expectancyRussia: 73.2 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityRussia: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityRussia: 3.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterRussia: 76.2% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionRussia: 3.71% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateRussia: 25.1 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationRussia: 145 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthRussia: -0.32% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateRussia: 1.45 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationRussia: 75.3% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageRussia: 39.5 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overRussia: 16.6% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateRussia: 0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingRussia: 7.5% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsRussia: $158B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personRussia: $1,318 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingRussia: 19.8% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelRussia: 1.45 million people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerRussia: 3.82% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersRussia: 1.98% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsRussia: 129 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsRussia: 1.94 billion TIV in 2025South 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