South Korea vs United Arab Emirates
South Korea vs United Arab Emirates: Military spending
Military spending: 2.6% of GDP in South Korea in 2025 and 5.64% of GDP in United Arab Emirates in 2014, by SIPRI estimates. In 2014 the value was higher in United Arab Emirates, by 3.23 percentage points, or 2.34 times that in South Korea.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United Arab Emirates has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1997.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | South Korea | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.6 | – |
| 2024 | 2.54 | – |
| 2023 | 2.6 | – |
| 2022 | 2.58 | – |
| 2021 | 2.62 | – |
| 2020 | 2.64 | – |
| 2019 | 2.52 | – |
| 2018 | 2.36 | – |
| 2017 | 2.3 | – |
| 2016 | 2.34 | – |
| 2015 | 2.38 | – |
| 2014 | 2.41 | 5.64 |
| 2013 | 2.39 | 6.04 |
| 2012 | 2.39 | 5.08 |
| 2011 | 2.37 | 5.47 |
| 2010 | 2.36 | 6.04 |
| 2009 | 2.5 | 5.46 |
| 2008 | 2.39 | 3.67 |
| 2007 | 2.27 | 3.28 |
| 2006 | 2.3 | 3.23 |
| 2005 | 2.28 | 3.66 |
| 2004 | 2.17 | 4.61 |
| 2003 | 2.18 | 4.69 |
| 2002 | 2.17 | 4.88 |
| 2001 | 2.28 | 5.61 |
| 2000 | 2.31 | 8.32 |
| 1999 | 2.49 | 7.67 |
| 1998 | 2.79 | 8.63 |
| 1997 | 2.66 | 6.76 |
| 1996 | 2.74 | – |
| 1995 | 2.89 | – |
| 1994 | 3.19 | – |
| 1993 | 3.42 | – |
| 1992 | 3.69 | – |
| 1991 | 3.71 | – |
| 1990 | 4 | – |
| 1989 | 4.29 | – |
| 1988 | 4.28 | – |
| 1987 | 4.47 | – |
| 1986 | 4.95 | – |
| 1985 | 5.23 | – |
| 1984 | 5.26 | – |
| 1983 | 5.73 | – |
| 1982 | 6.24 | – |
| 1981 | 6.42 | – |
| 1980 | 6.4 | – |
| 1979 | 5.53 | – |
| 1978 | 6.37 | – |
| 1977 | 6.04 | – |
| 1976 | 5.91 | – |
| 1975 | 4.88 | – |
| 1974 | 4.54 | – |
| 1973 | 4.04 | – |
| 1972 | 5.01 | – |
| 1971 | 4.74 | – |
| 1970 | 4.4 | – |
| 1969 | 4.69 | – |
| 1968 | 4.73 | – |
| 1967 | 4.69 | – |
| 1966 | 4.69 | – |
| 1965 | 4.41 | – |
| 1964 | 4.13 | – |
| 1963 | 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
South Korea vs United Arab Emirates
Health
- Life expectancySouth Korea: 84.3 years in 2023United Arab Emirates: 82.9 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024United Arab Emirates: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023United Arab Emirates: 4.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Korea: 3.17% in 2017United Arab Emirates: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017United Arab Emirates: 5.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023United Arab Emirates: 10.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023United Arab Emirates: 3.7% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023United Arab Emirates: 1.2 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Korea: 81.2% in 2025United Arab Emirates: 86% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Korea: 44.5 years in 2023United Arab Emirates: 31.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Korea: 18.3% in 2023United Arab Emirates: 1.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023United Arab Emirates: 28.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personSouth Korea: $37,470 in 2025United Arab Emirates: $41,610 in 2024
- GDP growthSouth Korea: 1.1% a year in 2025United Arab Emirates: 6.2% a year in 2025
- InflationSouth Korea: 2.1% a year in 2025United Arab Emirates: 1.3% a year in 2025
- Government debtSouth Korea: 49.6% of GDP in 2024United Arab Emirates: 33.9% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Korea: $48.9B in 2025United Arab Emirates: $27.8B in 2014
- Military spending per personSouth Korea: $924 in 2025United Arab Emirates: $2,840 in 2014
- Military share of state spendingSouth Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025United Arab Emirates: 17% of government spending in 2014
- Armed forces personnelSouth Korea: 569,000 people in 2020United Arab Emirates: 63,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022United Arab Emirates: 0.47% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020United Arab Emirates: 1.02% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025United Arab Emirates: 868 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025United Arab Emirates: 33 million TIV in 2025
Climate
Technology and environment
- CO₂ per personSouth Korea: 11.36 tonnes in 2024United Arab Emirates: 18.26 tonnes in 2024
- Internet usersSouth Korea: 97.9% in 2024United Arab Emirates: 100% in 2024
- Access to electricitySouth Korea: 100% in 2024United Arab Emirates: 100% in 2024
- Forest areaSouth Korea: 64.4% in 2024United Arab Emirates: 4.6% in 2024