Singapore vs South Korea
Singapore vs South Korea: Government debt
Government debt in 2024: 165.8% of GDP in Singapore and 49.6% of GDP in South Korea, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Singapore, by 116.2 percentage points, or 3.35 times that in South Korea.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Singapore has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2012.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Singapore at 169.2% of GDP and South Korea at 49.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Singapore | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 165.8 | 49.6 |
| 2023 | 170.4 | 50.6 |
| 2022 | 153.3 | 49.7 |
| 2021 | 139.9 | 48 |
| 2020 | 147.1 | 45.9 |
| 2019 | 127.7 | 39.7 |
| 2018 | 109.2 | 37.9 |
| 2017 | 107.3 | 38 |
| 2016 | 105.9 | 39.1 |
| 2015 | 102.1 | 38.8 |
| 2014 | 97.8 | 37.9 |
| 2013 | 98.2 | 36 |
| 2012 | 106.7 | 33.5 |
| 2011 | 103.1 | – |
| 2010 | 98.7 | – |
| 2009 | 101.7 | – |
| 2008 | 97.9 | – |
| 2007 | 87.8 | – |
| 2006 | 86.5 | – |
| 2005 | 92.7 | – |
| 2004 | 95.7 | – |
| 2003 | 99.1 | – |
| 2002 | 96.3 | – |
| 2001 | 94.5 | – |
| 2000 | 82.3 | – |
| 1999 | 85.3 | – |
| 1998 | 84.7 | – |
| 1997 | 70.8 | – |
| 1996 | 71.3 | – |
| 1995 | 69.8 | – |
| 1994 | 70.7 | – |
| 1993 | 71.2 | – |
| 1992 | 79 | – |
| 1991 | 76.4 | – |
| 1990 | 73.5 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2025–2031
| Year | Singapore | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 165.7 | 52.4 |
| 2026 | 166.4 | 47.3 |
| 2027 | 167.1 | 46.2 |
| 2028 | 167.9 | 47 |
| 2029 | 168.5 | 48.2 |
| 2030 | 169 | 49.2 |
| 2031 | 169.2 | 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.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Singapore vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancySingapore: 83.7 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySingapore: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySingapore: 1.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterSingapore: 100% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionSingapore: 3.44% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateSingapore: 7.3 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSingapore: 5.79 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthSingapore: 0.81% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSingapore: 0.94 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSingapore: 100% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageSingapore: 35.1 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSingapore: 13.1% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateSingapore: 4.7 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSingapore: 3.05% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSingapore: $16.9B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personSingapore: $2,980 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSingapore: 18% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSingapore: 59,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerSingapore: 0.25% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSingapore: 1.72% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSingapore: 57 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSingapore: 79 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025