South Korea vs United States
South Korea vs United States: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $48.9B in South Korea and $929B in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by $880B, or 19 times that in South Korea.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1953.
- In 2025, South Korea ranked 11 and United States ranked 1 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | South Korea | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $48.9B | $929B |
| 2024 | $47.6B | $1.01T |
| 2023 | $46.8B | $943B |
| 2022 | $46.6B | $923B |
| 2021 | $47.6B | $933B |
| 2020 | $45.6B | $943B |
| 2019 | $43.3B | $901B |
| 2018 | $40.1B | $853B |
| 2017 | $38.1B | $828B |
| 2016 | $37.4B | $836B |
| 2015 | $36.5B | $839B |
| 2014 | $35.2B | $858B |
| 2013 | $33.8B | $915B |
| 2012 | $32.8B | $991B |
| 2011 | $32B | $1.05T |
| 2010 | $31.6B | $1.06T |
| 2009 | $31.3B | $1.03T |
| 2008 | $29.5B | $957B |
| 2007 | $27.7B | $892B |
| 2006 | $26.5B | $869B |
| 2005 | $25.5B | $857B |
| 2004 | $23.6B | $819B |
| 2003 | $22.6B | $751B |
| 2002 | $21.9B | $660B |
| 2001 | $21.3B | $588B |
| 2000 | $20.7B | $583B |
| 1999 | $19.5B | $561B |
| 1998 | $20B | $560B |
| 1997 | $20.8B | $573B |
| 1996 | $20.3B | $576B |
| 1995 | $20B | $609B |
| 1994 | $18.3B | $652B |
| 1993 | $17.8B | $688B |
| 1992 | $17B | $727B |
| 1991 | $16B | $690B |
| 1990 | $15.6B | $781B |
| 1989 | $15B | $815B |
| 1988 | $14.1B | $821B |
| 1987 | $13.3B | $839B |
| 1986 | $13B | $846B |
| 1985 | $12B | $793B |
| 1984 | $11.1B | $740B |
| 1983 | $10.9B | $704B |
| 1982 | $10.4B | $721B |
| 1981 | $10B | $609B |
| 1980 | $9.66B | $547B |
| 1979 | $8.82B | $548B |
| 1978 | $9.39B | $545B |
| 1977 | $7.54B | $542B |
| 1976 | $6.34B | $522B |
| 1975 | $4.41B | $537B |
| 1974 | $3.82B | $568B |
| 1973 | $2.99B | $575B |
| 1972 | $2.97B | $605B |
| 1971 | $2.54B | $606B |
| 1970 | $2.16B | $674B |
| 1969 | $2.09B | $727B |
| 1968 | $1.81B | $761B |
| 1967 | $1.54B | $737B |
| 1966 | $1.38B | $642B |
| 1965 | $767M | $543B |
| 1964 | $730M | $540B |
| 1963 | $771M | $559B |
| 1962 | $933M | $567B |
| 1961 | $804M | $523B |
| 1960 | $771M | $502B |
| 1959 | $796M | $515B |
| 1958 | $750M | $511B |
| 1957 | $635M | $514B |
| 1956 | $739M | $500B |
| 1955 | $516M | $493B |
| 1954 | $465M | $521B |
| 1953 | $185M | $604B |
| 1952 | – | $587B |
| 1951 | – | $416B |
| 1950 | – | $195B |
| 1949 | – | $181B |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, in constant 2024 US dollars so that years compare, 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 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 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