Russia vs South Korea
Russia vs South Korea: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 7.5% of GDP in Russia and 2.6% of GDP in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Russia, by 4.9 percentage points, or 2.88 times that in South Korea.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Russia has been higher since 1999, when it overtook South Korea.
- In 2025, Russia ranked 4 and South Korea ranked 34 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Russia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7.5 | 2.6 |
| 2024 | 6.87 | 2.54 |
| 2023 | 5.27 | 2.6 |
| 2022 | 4.56 | 2.58 |
| 2021 | 3.6 | 2.62 |
| 2020 | 4.15 | 2.64 |
| 2019 | 3.85 | 2.52 |
| 2018 | 3.72 | 2.36 |
| 2017 | 4.25 | 2.3 |
| 2016 | 5.43 | 2.34 |
| 2015 | 4.87 | 2.38 |
| 2014 | 4.11 | 2.41 |
| 2013 | 3.85 | 2.39 |
| 2012 | 3.69 | 2.39 |
| 2011 | 3.43 | 2.37 |
| 2010 | 3.59 | 2.36 |
| 2009 | 3.92 | 2.5 |
| 2008 | 3.15 | 2.39 |
| 2007 | 3.12 | 2.27 |
| 2006 | 3.25 | 2.3 |
| 2005 | 3.33 | 2.28 |
| 2004 | 3.3 | 2.17 |
| 2003 | 3.67 | 2.18 |
| 2002 | 3.76 | 2.17 |
| 2001 | 3.55 | 2.28 |
| 2000 | 3.31 | 2.31 |
| 1999 | 3.07 | 2.49 |
| 1998 | 2.73 | 2.79 |
| 1997 | 4.04 | 2.66 |
| 1996 | 3.76 | 2.74 |
| 1995 | 3.78 | 2.89 |
| 1994 | 4.52 | 3.19 |
| 1993 | 4.18 | 3.42 |
| 1992 | 4.43 | 3.69 |
| 1991 | – | 3.71 |
| 1990 | – | 4 |
| 1989 | – | 4.29 |
| 1988 | – | 4.28 |
| 1987 | – | 4.47 |
| 1986 | – | 4.95 |
| 1985 | – | 5.23 |
| 1984 | – | 5.26 |
| 1983 | – | 5.73 |
| 1982 | – | 6.24 |
| 1981 | – | 6.42 |
| 1980 | – | 6.4 |
| 1979 | – | 5.53 |
| 1978 | – | 6.37 |
| 1977 | – | 6.04 |
| 1976 | – | 5.91 |
| 1975 | – | 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
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 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