Saudi Arabia vs South Korea
Saudi Arabia vs South Korea: Arms exports
Arms exports: 3 million TIV in Saudi Arabia in 2023 and 2.02 billion TIV in South Korea in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Korea, by 672 million TIV, or 230 times that in Saudi Arabia.
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1972.
- The world as a whole: 29.5 billion TIV in 2023.
Every year
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
| Year | Saudi Arabia | South Korea | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | 2.02 billion | 33.5 billion |
| 2024 | – | 1.1 billion | 30.7 billion |
| 2023 | 3 million | 675 million | 29.5 billion |
| 2022 | – | 231 million | 33.3 billion |
| 2021 | – | 536 million | 27.1 billion |
| 2020 | – | 829 million | 24.1 billion |
| 2019 | – | 675 million | 27 billion |
| 2018 | – | 1.05 billion | 27.4 billion |
| 2017 | – | 700 million | 31.3 billion |
| 2016 | 5 million | 435 million | 31.5 billion |
| 2015 | 3 million | 92 million | 28.7 billion |
| 2014 | – | 218 million | 27.1 billion |
| 2013 | – | 350 million | 27.4 billion |
| 2012 | – | 203 million | 27.9 billion |
| 2011 | 58 million | 328 million | 29.9 billion |
| 2010 | 1 million | 177 million | 25.8 billion |
| 2009 | – | 224 million | 24.4 billion |
| 2008 | – | 110 million | 24.1 billion |
| 2007 | – | 278 million | 26.5 billion |
| 2006 | 18 million | 158 million | 24.5 billion |
| 2005 | – | 109 million | 21.4 billion |
| 2004 | – | 74 million | 21.3 billion |
| 2003 | – | 96 million | 19.2 billion |
| 2002 | – | – | 17.7 billion |
| 2001 | – | 230 million | 18.5 billion |
| 2000 | – | 36 million | 20.5 billion |
| 1999 | – | – | 25.4 billion |
| 1998 | – | 32 million | 27.9 billion |
| 1997 | – | 25 million | 28.9 billion |
| 1996 | 1 million | 24 million | 23.7 billion |
| 1995 | – | 30 million | 22.9 billion |
| 1994 | – | 7 million | 23 billion |
| 1993 | 12 million | 62 million | 25.8 billion |
| 1992 | – | – | 24.3 billion |
| 1991 | – | 118 million | 28.2 billion |
| 1990 | – | 72 million | 30.2 billion |
| 1989 | – | 48 million | 34.9 billion |
| 1988 | – | 54 million | 36.8 billion |
| 1987 | – | – | 39.4 billion |
| 1986 | – | 73 million | 39 billion |
| 1985 | 4 million | 28 million | 38.2 billion |
| 1984 | 6 million | 126 million | 41.6 billion |
| 1983 | – | – | 43.9 billion |
| 1982 | – | 65 million | 46.2 billion |
| 1981 | 33 million | 130 million | 45.8 billion |
| 1980 | – | 105 million | 42.2 billion |
| 1979 | 5 million | 105 million | 38.4 billion |
| 1978 | – | – | 42.4 billion |
| 1977 | 13 million | – | 40 billion |
| 1976 | 0 | – | 36 billion |
| 1975 | – | – | 37.2 billion |
| 1974 | – | – | 36.6 billion |
| 1973 | – | – | 36.3 billion |
| 1972 | 2 million | 141 million | 34.5 billion |
| 1971 | – | – | 32.9 billion |
| 1970 | – | – | 25.3 billion |
| 1969 | – | – | 28.1 billion |
| 1968 | 3 million | – | 26.1 billion |
| 1967 | 4 million | – | 25.6 billion |
| 1966 | – | – | 25.8 billion |
| 1965 | – | – | 25.8 billion |
| 1964 | – | – | 26.7 billion |
| 1963 | – | – | 20.3 billion |
| 1962 | – | – | 17.5 billion |
| 1961 | – | – | 16.4 billion |
| 1960 | – | – | 17.6 billion |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Major weapons the country sent abroad, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV): what the arms are worth as military capability, priced by their production cost, not what was paid.
- Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, via the World Bank.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Saudi Arabia vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancySaudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySaudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySaudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSaudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateSaudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSaudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthSaudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSaudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSaudi Arabia: 84.6% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageSaudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSaudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateSaudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personSaudi Arabia: $25,070 in 2025South Korea: $37,470 in 2025
- GDP growthSaudi Arabia: 4.6% a year in 2025South Korea: 1.1% a year in 2025
- InflationSaudi Arabia: 2% a year in 2025South Korea: 2.1% a year in 2025
- Government debtSaudi Arabia: 31.8% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 49.6% of GDP in 2024
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSaudi Arabia: 6.48% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSaudi Arabia: $81.5B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personSaudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSaudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSaudi Arabia: 282,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerSaudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSaudi Arabia: 1.92% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSaudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025