South Korea vs Spain
South Korea vs Spain: Military spending per person
Military spending per person in 2025: $924 in South Korea and $839 in Spain, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by $85, or 1.1 times that in Spain.
US dollars per person · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher since 2000, when it overtook Spain.
- In 2025, South Korea ranked 25 and Spain ranked 29 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars per person · SIPRI
| Year | South Korea | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $924 | $839 |
| 2024 | $920 | $526 |
| 2023 | $924 | $518 |
| 2022 | $895 | $434 |
| 2021 | $980 | $419 |
| 2020 | $890 | $366 |
| 2019 | $853 | $364 |
| 2018 | $835 | $380 |
| 2017 | $762 | $343 |
| 2016 | $721 | $300 |
| 2015 | $720 | $325 |
| 2014 | $747 | $367 |
| 2013 | $689 | $367 |
| 2012 | $647 | $401 |
| 2011 | $634 | $420 |
| 2010 | $579 | $422 |
| 2009 | $507 | $434 |
| 2008 | $540 | $484 |
| 2007 | $577 | $445 |
| 2006 | $525 | $389 |
| 2005 | $464 | $367 |
| 2004 | $375 | $356 |
| 2003 | $334 | $306 |
| 2002 | $299 | $248 |
| 2001 | $276 | $249 |
| 2000 | $296 | $251 |
| 1999 | $261 | $273 |
| 1998 | $227 | $255 |
| 1997 | $324 | $245 |
| 1996 | $361 | $281 |
| 1995 | $356 | $286 |
| 1994 | $300 | $254 |
| 1993 | $277 | $254 |
| 1992 | $261 | $312 |
| 1991 | $247 | $299 |
| 1990 | $231 | $299 |
| 1989 | $219 | $239 |
| 1988 | $181 | $229 |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence for each person living there, in US dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation.
- 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
South Korea vs Spain
Health
- Life expectancySouth Korea: 84.3 years in 2023Spain: 83.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024Spain: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Spain: 2.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterSouth Korea: 99.3% in 2022Spain: 99.6% in 2022
- DepressionSouth Korea: 3.17% in 2017Spain: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Spain: 5.5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023Spain: 47.9 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023Spain: 0.02% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023Spain: 1.21 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Korea: 81.2% in 2025Spain: 80.5% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Korea: 44.5 years in 2023Spain: 44.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Korea: 18.3% in 2023Spain: 20.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023Spain: 2.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025Spain: 2.13% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Korea: $48.9B in 2025Spain: $37.7B in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025Spain: 4.7% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Korea: 569,000 people in 2020Spain: 199,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022Spain: 0.66% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020Spain: 0.87% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025Spain: 237 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025Spain: 341 million TIV in 2025