Saudi Arabia vs South Korea: Military spending

Military spending in 2025: 6.48% of GDP in Saudi Arabia and 2.6% of GDP in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by 3.88 percentage points, or 2.49 times that in South Korea.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · SIPRI

Saudi ArabiaSouth KoreaSIPRI estimate

What the numbers say

Saudi Arabia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1963.
In 2025, Saudi Arabia ranked 5 and South Korea ranked 34 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

Year	Saudi Arabia	South Korea
2025	6.48	2.6
2024	6.41	2.54
2023	6.38	2.6
2022	5.72	2.58
2021	6.43	2.62
2020	8.41	2.64
2019	7.35	2.52
2018	8.42	2.36
2017	9.5	2.3
2016	9.24	2.34
2015	12.57	2.38
2014	10.26	2.41
2013	8.71	2.39
2012	7.51	2.39
2011	7.13	2.37
2010	8.57	2.36
2009	9.62	2.5
2008	7.35	2.39
2007	8.53	2.27
2006	7.85	2.3
2005	7.73	2.28
2004	8.08	2.17
2003	8.69	2.18
2002	9.76	2.17
2001	11.42	2.28
2000	10.53	2.31
1999	11.38	2.49
1998	14.31	2.79
1997	11	2.66
1996	8.47	2.74
1995	9.28	2.89
1994	10.64	3.19
1993	12.47	3.42
1992	11.28	3.69
1991	12.47	3.71
1990	14.02	4
1989	13.39	4.29
1988	15.15	4.28
1987	16.9	4.47
1986	–	4.95
1985	17	5.23
1984	19	5.26
1983	16.97	5.73
1982	17.72	6.24
1981	13.27	6.42
1980	12.61	6.4
1979	15.77	5.53
1978	16.74	6.37
1977	15.65	6.04
1976	–	5.91
1975	–	4.88
1974	–	4.54
1973	10.84	4.04
1972	10.08	5.01
1971	8.64	4.74
1970	9.4	4.4
1969	9.57	4.69
1968	8.09	4.73
1967	11.51	4.69
1966	11.32	4.69
1965	7.69	4.41
1964	5.97	4.13
1963	5.9	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

Saudi Arabia vs South Korea: Military spending

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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Saudi Arabia vs South Korea

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