South Korea vs United States
South Korea vs United States: Arms imports
Arms imports in 2025: 222 million TIV in South Korea and 745 million TIV in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by 523 million TIV, or 3.36 times that in South Korea.
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher since 2021, when it overtook South Korea.
- In 2025, South Korea ranked 35 and United States ranked 13 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 States | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 222 million | 745 million | 33.3 billion |
| 2024 | 1.03 billion | 1.05 billion | 30.6 billion |
| 2023 | 218 million | 891 million | 29.5 billion |
| 2022 | 423 million | 846 million | 33 billion |
| 2021 | 812 million | 922 million | 26.8 billion |
| 2020 | 1.27 billion | 806 million | 23.4 billion |
| 2019 | 1.61 billion | 882 million | 26.9 billion |
| 2018 | 1.03 billion | 379 million | 27.3 billion |
| 2017 | 962 million | 504 million | 31.2 billion |
| 2016 | 1.04 billion | 447 million | 31.4 billion |
| 2015 | 268 million | 482 million | 28.7 billion |
| 2014 | 742 million | 568 million | 27 billion |
| 2013 | 189 million | 767 million | 27.4 billion |
| 2012 | 1.08 billion | 1.14 billion | 27.9 billion |
| 2011 | 1.57 billion | 937 million | 29.9 billion |
| 2010 | 1.3 billion | 969 million | 25.8 billion |
| 2009 | 798 million | 939 million | 24 billion |
| 2008 | 1.69 billion | 936 million | 24.1 billion |
| 2007 | 1.73 billion | 842 million | 26.5 billion |
| 2006 | 1.66 billion | 706 million | 24.4 billion |
| 2005 | 801 million | 582 million | 21.3 billion |
| 2004 | 1.06 billion | 596 million | 21.3 billion |
| 2003 | 767 million | 630 million | 19.2 billion |
| 2002 | 519 million | 515 million | 17.7 billion |
| 2001 | 768 million | 508 million | 18.3 billion |
| 2000 | 1.39 billion | 333 million | 20.5 billion |
| 1999 | 1.64 billion | 220 million | 25.3 billion |
| 1998 | 1.42 billion | 262 million | 27.9 billion |
| 1997 | 1.22 billion | 610 million | 28.9 billion |
| 1996 | 1.97 billion | 601 million | 23.7 billion |
| 1995 | 1.95 billion | 809 million | 22.9 billion |
| 1994 | 1.01 billion | 951 million | 22.8 billion |
| 1993 | 1.01 billion | 968 million | 25.8 billion |
| 1992 | 782 million | 540 million | 24.3 billion |
| 1991 | 908 million | 515 million | 27.8 billion |
| 1990 | 1.2 billion | 363 million | 28.6 billion |
| 1989 | 1.84 billion | 1.78 billion | 31.7 billion |
| 1988 | 1.24 billion | 1.79 billion | 32.9 billion |
| 1987 | 773 million | 2 billion | 36.2 billion |
| 1986 | 857 million | 424 million | 35.5 billion |
| 1985 | 760 million | 655 million | 33.2 billion |
| 1984 | 524 million | 381 million | 36.8 billion |
| 1983 | 496 million | 463 million | 39.1 billion |
| 1982 | 673 million | 248 million | 41.4 billion |
| 1981 | 872 million | 531 million | 42 billion |
| 1980 | 877 million | 380 million | 37.4 billion |
| 1979 | 1.32 billion | 253 million | 33.3 billion |
| 1978 | 399 million | 369 million | 39.2 billion |
| 1977 | 1.2 billion | 384 million | 37 billion |
| 1976 | 556 million | 499 million | 33 billion |
| 1975 | 661 million | 388 million | 34.2 billion |
| 1974 | 458 million | 586 million | 32.9 billion |
| 1973 | 269 million | 656 million | 32.6 billion |
| 1972 | 413 million | 769 million | 28.7 billion |
| 1971 | 250 million | 578 million | 29.3 billion |
| 1970 | 100 million | 38 million | 22.1 billion |
| 1969 | 586 million | 50 million | 24.7 billion |
| 1968 | 359 million | 62 million | 22.4 billion |
| 1967 | 137 million | 88 million | 22.1 billion |
| 1966 | 578 million | 89 million | 22.4 billion |
| 1965 | 632 million | 170 million | 23.1 billion |
| 1964 | 332 million | 358 million | 24.2 billion |
| 1963 | 214 million | 283 million | 18.1 billion |
| 1962 | 65 million | 236 million | 15.5 billion |
| 1961 | 113 million | 198 million | 15 billion |
| 1960 | 122 million | 181 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 States
Health
- Life expectancySouth Korea: 84.3 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterSouth Korea: 99.3% in 2022United States: 97.5% in 2022
- DepressionSouth Korea: 3.17% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Korea: 81.2% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Korea: 44.5 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Korea: 18.3% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personSouth Korea: $37,470 in 2025United States: $67,950 in 2025
- GDP growthSouth Korea: 1.1% a year in 2025United States: 2.3% a year in 2025
- InflationSouth Korea: 2.1% a year in 2025United States: 2.7% a year in 2025
- Government debtSouth Korea: 49.6% of GDP in 2024United States: 124.4% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Korea: $48.9B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Korea: $924 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Korea: 569,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerSouth Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms exportsSouth Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025