Saudi Arabia vs South Korea
Saudi Arabia vs South Korea: Government debt
Government debt: 31.8% of GDP in Saudi Arabia 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 23.7 percentage points, or 1.92 times that in Saudi Arabia.
% 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 Saudi Arabia at 48.7% of GDP and South Korea at 49.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Saudi Arabia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 31.8 | 52.4 |
| 2024 | 25.9 | 49.6 |
| 2023 | 23 | 50.6 |
| 2022 | 21.3 | 49.7 |
| 2021 | 25.5 | 48 |
| 2020 | 29.7 | 45.9 |
| 2019 | 20.3 | 39.7 |
| 2018 | 16.8 | 37.9 |
| 2017 | 16 | 38 |
| 2016 | 12.3 | 39.1 |
| 2015 | 5.5 | 38.8 |
| 2014 | 1.5 | 37.9 |
| 2013 | 2.1 | 36 |
| 2012 | 3 | 33.5 |
| 2011 | 5.3 | – |
| 2010 | 8.4 | – |
| 2009 | 14 | – |
| 2008 | 12.1 | – |
| 2007 | 17.1 | – |
| 2006 | 25.8 | – |
| 2005 | 37.3 | – |
| 2004 | 62.9 | – |
| 2003 | 81.6 | – |
| 2002 | 96.4 | – |
| 2001 | 93.2 | – |
| 2000 | 86.7 | – |
| 1999 | 103 | – |
| 1998 | 101.5 | – |
| 1997 | 76.7 | – |
| 1996 | 75.2 | – |
| 1995 | 74.3 | – |
| 1994 | 67.9 | – |
| 1993 | 58.6 | – |
| 1992 | 47.8 | – |
| 1991 | 39.4 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Saudi Arabia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 35.4 | 47.3 |
| 2027 | 37.3 | 46.2 |
| 2028 | 40.2 | 47 |
| 2029 | 43.1 | 48.2 |
| 2030 | 45.9 | 49.2 |
| 2031 | 48.7 | 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
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
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
- Arms exportsSaudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025