South Korea vs United States
South Korea vs United States: Internet users
Internet users in 2024: 97.9% in South Korea and 94.7% in United States, by ITU estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Korea, by 3.2 percentage points, or 1.03 times that in United States.
% of people · ITU
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher since 2000, when it overtook United States.
- In 2024, South Korea ranked 13 and United States ranked 29 of 182 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 71.2% in 2024.
Every year
% of people · ITU
| Year | South Korea | United States | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | – | 73.6 |
| 2024 | 97.9 | 94.7 | 71.2 |
| 2023 | 97.4 | 93.5 | 69.2 |
| 2022 | 97.2 | 92.7 | 67 |
| 2021 | 97.6 | 91.3 | 63.8 |
| 2020 | 96.5 | 90.3 | 60.1 |
| 2019 | 96.2 | 89.4 | 53.9 |
| 2018 | 96 | 88.5 | 49.4 |
| 2017 | 95.1 | 87.3 | 46.3 |
| 2016 | 92.8 | 85.5 | 43.6 |
| 2015 | 89.9 | 74.6 | 39.9 |
| 2014 | 87.6 | 73 | 37.4 |
| 2013 | 84.8 | 71.4 | 35.3 |
| 2012 | 84.1 | 74.7 | 33.3 |
| 2011 | 83.8 | 69.7 | 30.9 |
| 2010 | 83.7 | 71.7 | 28.4 |
| 2009 | 81.6 | 71 | 25.3 |
| 2008 | 81 | 74 | 22.8 |
| 2007 | 78.8 | 75 | 20.2 |
| 2006 | 78.1 | 68.9 | 17.2 |
| 2005 | 73.5 | 68 | 15.6 |
| 2004 | 72.7 | 64.8 | – |
| 2003 | 65.5 | 61.7 | – |
| 2002 | 59.4 | 58.8 | – |
| 2001 | 56.6 | 49.1 | – |
| 2000 | 44.7 | 43.1 | – |
| 1999 | 23.6 | 35.8 | – |
| 1998 | 6.8 | 30.1 | – |
| 1997 | 3.6 | 21.6 | – |
| 1996 | 1.6 | 16.4 | – |
| 1995 | 0.8 | 9.2 | – |
| 1994 | 0.3 | 4.9 | – |
| 1993 | 0.3 | 2.3 | – |
| 1992 | 0.1 | 1.7 | – |
| 1991 | 0 | 1.2 | – |
| 1990 | 0 | 0.8 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people who used the internet in the last three months, from anywhere.
- Source: ITU, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 182 countries with a value in 2024, 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 importsSouth Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025