South Korea vs United Kingdom
South Korea vs United Kingdom: Arms imports
Arms imports in 2025: 222 million TIV in South Korea and 609 million TIV in United Kingdom, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 387 million TIV, or 2.74 times that in South Korea.
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United Kingdom has been higher since 2025, when it overtook South Korea.
- In 2025, South Korea ranked 35 and United Kingdom ranked 16 of 110 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 33.3 billion TIV in 2025.
Every year
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
| Year | South Korea | United Kingdom | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 222 million | 609 million | 33.3 billion |
| 2024 | 1.03 billion | 486 million | 30.6 billion |
| 2023 | 218 million | 469 million | 29.5 billion |
| 2022 | 423 million | 859 million | 33 billion |
| 2021 | 812 million | 886 million | 26.8 billion |
| 2020 | 1.27 billion | 635 million | 23.4 billion |
| 2019 | 1.61 billion | 402 million | 26.9 billion |
| 2018 | 1.03 billion | 463 million | 27.3 billion |
| 2017 | 962 million | 1 billion | 31.2 billion |
| 2016 | 1.04 billion | 288 million | 31.4 billion |
| 2015 | 268 million | 424 million | 28.7 billion |
| 2014 | 742 million | 217 million | 27 billion |
| 2013 | 189 million | 509 million | 27.4 billion |
| 2012 | 1.08 billion | 566 million | 27.9 billion |
| 2011 | 1.57 billion | 347 million | 29.9 billion |
| 2010 | 1.3 billion | 461 million | 25.8 billion |
| 2009 | 798 million | 381 million | 24 billion |
| 2008 | 1.69 billion | 575 million | 24.1 billion |
| 2007 | 1.73 billion | 817 million | 26.5 billion |
| 2006 | 1.66 billion | 375 million | 24.4 billion |
| 2005 | 801 million | 31 million | 21.3 billion |
| 2004 | 1.06 billion | 212 million | 21.3 billion |
| 2003 | 767 million | 770 million | 19.2 billion |
| 2002 | 519 million | 721 million | 17.7 billion |
| 2001 | 768 million | 1.29 billion | 18.3 billion |
| 2000 | 1.39 billion | 937 million | 20.5 billion |
| 1999 | 1.64 billion | 132 million | 25.3 billion |
| 1998 | 1.42 billion | 770 million | 27.9 billion |
| 1997 | 1.22 billion | 513 million | 28.9 billion |
| 1996 | 1.97 billion | 568 million | 23.7 billion |
| 1995 | 1.95 billion | 496 million | 22.9 billion |
| 1994 | 1.01 billion | 421 million | 22.8 billion |
| 1993 | 1.01 billion | 796 million | 25.8 billion |
| 1992 | 782 million | 1.15 billion | 24.3 billion |
| 1991 | 908 million | 953 million | 27.8 billion |
| 1990 | 1.2 billion | 130 million | 28.6 billion |
| 1989 | 1.84 billion | 209 million | 31.7 billion |
| 1988 | 1.24 billion | 285 million | 32.9 billion |
| 1987 | 773 million | 207 million | 36.2 billion |
| 1986 | 857 million | 273 million | 35.5 billion |
| 1985 | 760 million | 355 million | 33.2 billion |
| 1984 | 524 million | 682 million | 36.8 billion |
| 1983 | 496 million | 292 million | 39.1 billion |
| 1982 | 673 million | 766 million | 41.4 billion |
| 1981 | 872 million | 812 million | 42 billion |
| 1980 | 877 million | 557 million | 37.4 billion |
| 1979 | 1.32 billion | 232 million | 33.3 billion |
| 1978 | 399 million | 191 million | 39.2 billion |
| 1977 | 1.2 billion | 262 million | 37 billion |
| 1976 | 556 million | 251 million | 33 billion |
| 1975 | 661 million | 337 million | 34.2 billion |
| 1974 | 458 million | 319 million | 32.9 billion |
| 1973 | 269 million | 239 million | 32.6 billion |
| 1972 | 413 million | 222 million | 28.7 billion |
| 1971 | 250 million | 176 million | 29.3 billion |
| 1970 | 100 million | 70 million | 22.1 billion |
| 1969 | 586 million | 2.7 billion | 24.7 billion |
| 1968 | 359 million | 2.35 billion | 22.4 billion |
| 1967 | 137 million | 1.44 billion | 22.1 billion |
| 1966 | 578 million | 242 million | 22.4 billion |
| 1965 | 632 million | 166 million | 23.1 billion |
| 1964 | 332 million | 133 million | 24.2 billion |
| 1963 | 214 million | 159 million | 18.1 billion |
| 1962 | 65 million | 38 million | 15.5 billion |
| 1961 | 113 million | 34 million | 15 billion |
| 1960 | 122 million | 26 million | 15.7 billion |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Major weapons the country received, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV): what the arms are worth as military capability, priced by their production cost, not what was paid.
- Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 110 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 United Kingdom
Health
- Life expectancySouth Korea: 84.3 years in 2023United Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024United Kingdom: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023United Kingdom: 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterSouth Korea: 99.3% in 2022United Kingdom: 99.8% in 2022
- DepressionSouth Korea: 3.17% in 2017United Kingdom: 4.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017United Kingdom: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023United Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023United Kingdom: 0.7% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023United Kingdom: 1.56 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Korea: 81.2% in 2025United Kingdom: 83.3% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Korea: 44.5 years in 2023United Kingdom: 39.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Korea: 18.3% in 2023United Kingdom: 19.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023United Kingdom: 6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personSouth Korea: $37,470 in 2025United Kingdom: $48,420 in 2025
- GDP growthSouth Korea: 1.1% a year in 2025United Kingdom: 1.2% a year in 2025
- InflationSouth Korea: 2.1% a year in 2025United Kingdom: 3.4% a year in 2025
- Government debtSouth Korea: 49.6% of GDP in 2024United Kingdom: 102.1% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025United Kingdom: 2.35% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Korea: $48.9B in 2025United Kingdom: $88B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Korea: $924 in 2025United Kingdom: $1,283 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025United Kingdom: 5.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Korea: 569,000 people in 2020United Kingdom: 153,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022United Kingdom: 1.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020United Kingdom: 0.45% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms exportsSouth Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025