South Korea vs Sweden
South Korea vs Sweden: GDP per person
GDP per person in 2025: $37,470 in South Korea and $55,010 in Sweden, by World Bank estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Sweden, by $17,540, or 1.47 times that in South Korea.
US dollars at 2015 prices · World Bank
What the numbers say
- Sweden has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1960.
- In 2025, South Korea ranked 27 and Sweden ranked 12 of 186 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: $12,130 in 2025.
Every year
US dollars at 2015 prices · World Bank
| Year | South Korea | Sweden | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $37,470 | $55,010 | $12,130 |
| 2024 | $37,050 | $54,320 | $11,890 |
| 2023 | $36,350 | $53,940 | $11,670 |
| 2022 | $35,810 | $54,300 | $11,450 |
| 2021 | $34,790 | $54,000 | $11,170 |
| 2020 | $33,220 | $51,620 | $10,580 |
| 2019 | $33,500 | $53,020 | $11,000 |
| 2018 | $32,850 | $52,200 | $10,820 |
| 2017 | $31,980 | $51,890 | $10,590 |
| 2016 | $31,010 | $51,630 | $10,360 |
| 2015 | $30,170 | $51,190 | $10,190 |
| 2014 | $29,470 | $49,560 | $10,000 |
| 2013 | $28,730 | $48,930 | $9,811 |
| 2012 | $27,940 | $48,790 | $9,654 |
| 2011 | $27,390 | $49,360 | $9,515 |
| 2010 | $26,620 | $48,210 | $9,322 |
| 2009 | $25,010 | $45,970 | $9,028 |
| 2008 | $24,930 | $48,430 | $9,266 |
| 2007 | $24,390 | $49,260 | $9,191 |
| 2006 | $23,160 | $48,080 | $8,913 |
| 2005 | $22,120 | $46,190 | $8,639 |
| 2004 | $21,240 | $45,110 | $8,409 |
| 2003 | $20,280 | $43,480 | $8,151 |
| 2002 | $19,780 | $42,830 | $8,011 |
| 2001 | $18,460 | $42,010 | $7,932 |
| 2000 | $17,760 | $41,560 | $7,880 |
| 1999 | $16,400 | $39,790 | $7,639 |
| 1998 | $14,800 | $38,210 | $7,479 |
| 1997 | $15,680 | $36,680 | $7,382 |
| 1996 | $14,890 | $35,610 | $7,203 |
| 1995 | $13,920 | $35,060 | $7,058 |
| 1994 | $12,820 | $33,860 | $6,944 |
| 1993 | $11,840 | $32,790 | $6,819 |
| 1992 | $11,180 | $33,670 | $6,801 |
| 1991 | $10,620 | $34,270 | $6,773 |
| 1990 | $9,673 | $34,900 | $6,804 |
| 1989 | $8,878 | $34,910 | $6,741 |
| 1988 | $8,367 | $34,240 | $6,620 |
| 1987 | $7,535 | $33,530 | $6,446 |
| 1986 | $6,741 | $32,560 | $6,326 |
| 1985 | $6,106 | $31,780 | $6,233 |
| 1984 | $5,713 | $31,160 | $6,120 |
| 1983 | $5,228 | $29,920 | $5,947 |
| 1982 | $4,676 | $29,370 | $5,903 |
| 1981 | $4,378 | $29,030 | $5,986 |
| 1980 | $4,140 | $28,930 | $5,980 |
| 1979 | $4,270 | $28,510 | $5,978 |
| 1978 | $3,987 | $27,510 | $5,843 |
| 1977 | $3,645 | $27,120 | $5,710 |
| 1976 | $3,294 | $27,650 | $5,591 |
| 1975 | $2,955 | $27,460 | $5,410 |
| 1974 | $2,784 | $26,890 | $5,467 |
| 1973 | $2,583 | $26,130 | $5,465 |
| 1972 | $2,287 | $25,180 | $5,236 |
| 1971 | $2,171 | $24,690 | $5,061 |
| 1970 | $2,001 | $24,620 | $4,964 |
| 1969 | $1,856 | $23,340 | $4,885 |
| 1968 | $1,657 | $22,390 | $4,707 |
| 1967 | $1,498 | $21,720 | $4,535 |
| 1966 | $1,405 | $21,180 | $4,461 |
| 1965 | $1,286 | $20,940 | $4,321 |
| 1964 | $1,229 | $20,360 | $4,176 |
| 1963 | $1,153 | $19,200 | $3,999 |
| 1962 | $1,088 | $18,340 | $3,889 |
| 1961 | $1,077 | $17,680 | $3,759 |
| 1960 | $1,038 | $16,810 | $3,667 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The value of everything produced in the country in a year, divided by its people, in 2015 US dollars so that years compare.
- Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators.
- Ranks count the 186 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
- 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
South Korea vs Sweden
Health
- Life expectancySouth Korea: 84.3 years in 2023Sweden: 83.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024Sweden: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Sweden: 1.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterSouth Korea: 99.3% in 2022Sweden: 99.7% in 2022
- DepressionSouth Korea: 3.17% in 2017Sweden: 4.49% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Sweden: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023Sweden: 10.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023Sweden: 0.56% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023Sweden: 1.43 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Korea: 81.2% in 2025Sweden: 89.1% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Korea: 44.5 years in 2023Sweden: 39.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Korea: 18.3% in 2023Sweden: 20.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023Sweden: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025Sweden: 2.47% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Korea: $48.9B in 2025Sweden: $15B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Korea: $924 in 2025Sweden: $1,549 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025Sweden: 5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Korea: 569,000 people in 2020Sweden: 15,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022Sweden: 0.19% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020Sweden: 0.27% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025Sweden: 146 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025Sweden: 235 million TIV in 2025