South Korea vs United States
South Korea vs United States: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 10.8% of government spending in South Korea and 8.3% of government spending in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 2.5 percentage points, or 1.31 times that in United States.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher since 2005, when it overtook United States.
- In 2025, South Korea ranked 24 and United States ranked 34 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | South Korea | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10.8 | 8.3 |
| 2024 | 11.3 | 9 |
| 2023 | 11.2 | 8.7 |
| 2022 | 9.7 | 9 |
| 2021 | 10.9 | 7.9 |
| 2020 | 11.2 | 8.2 |
| 2019 | 11.9 | 9.5 |
| 2018 | 12.3 | 9.3 |
| 2017 | 12.3 | 9.4 |
| 2016 | 12.6 | 9.6 |
| 2015 | 12.6 | 9.9 |
| 2014 | 12.8 | 10.4 |
| 2013 | 12.6 | 11.2 |
| 2012 | 12.7 | 12 |
| 2011 | 13 | 12.4 |
| 2010 | 13.2 | 12.3 |
| 2009 | 12.8 | 11.8 |
| 2008 | 12.5 | 12 |
| 2007 | 12.1 | 11.8 |
| 2006 | 12.3 | 12 |
| 2005 | 12.6 | 12.1 |
| 2004 | 11.7 | 12 |
| 2003 | 12.2 | 11.3 |
| 2002 | 13.7 | 10.3 |
| 2001 | 13.5 | 9.6 |
| 2000 | 14.4 | – |
| 1999 | 14.5 | – |
| 1998 | 16.4 | – |
| 1997 | 18.2 | – |
| 1996 | 18.5 | – |
| 1995 | 20.3 | – |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, 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 150 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 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
- 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