Russia vs South Korea
Russia vs South Korea: Government debt
Government debt: 16.6% of GDP in Russia in 2025 and 49.6% of GDP in South Korea in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Korea, by 34.8 percentage points, or 3.36 times that in Russia.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2012.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Russia at 30.7% of GDP and South Korea at 49.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Russia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16.6 | 52.4 |
| 2024 | 14.8 | 49.6 |
| 2023 | 15.2 | 50.6 |
| 2022 | 15.1 | 49.7 |
| 2021 | 16.5 | 48 |
| 2020 | 19.2 | 45.9 |
| 2019 | 13.8 | 39.7 |
| 2018 | 13.6 | 37.9 |
| 2017 | 14.3 | 38 |
| 2016 | 14.9 | 39.1 |
| 2015 | 15.3 | 38.8 |
| 2014 | 15.1 | 37.9 |
| 2013 | 12.4 | 36 |
| 2012 | 11.2 | 33.5 |
| 2011 | 10.3 | – |
| 2010 | 10.1 | – |
| 2009 | 9.9 | – |
| 2008 | 7.4 | – |
| 2007 | 8 | – |
| 2006 | 9.8 | – |
| 2005 | 14.9 | – |
| 2004 | 20.8 | – |
| 2003 | 28.3 | – |
| 2002 | 37.6 | – |
| 2001 | 44.4 | – |
| 2000 | 55.9 | – |
| 1999 | 92.4 | – |
| 1998 | 135.2 | – |
| 1997 | 51.5 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Russia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 19.3 | 47.3 |
| 2027 | 22.2 | 46.2 |
| 2028 | 24.8 | 47 |
| 2029 | 27.2 | 48.2 |
| 2030 | 29.1 | 49.2 |
| 2031 | 30.7 | 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
Russia vs South Korea
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