South Korea vs United States
South Korea vs United States: Military spending per person
Military spending per person in 2025: $924 in South Korea and $2,755 in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by $1,831, or 2.98 times that in South Korea.
US dollars per person · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1988.
- In 2025, South Korea ranked 25 and United States ranked 4 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars per person · SIPRI
| Year | South Korea | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $924 | $2,755 |
| 2024 | $920 | $2,917 |
| 2023 | $924 | $2,675 |
| 2022 | $895 | $2,527 |
| 2021 | $980 | $2,373 |
| 2020 | $890 | $2,295 |
| 2019 | $853 | $2,183 |
| 2018 | $835 | $2,045 |
| 2017 | $762 | $1,956 |
| 2016 | $721 | $1,953 |
| 2015 | $720 | $1,952 |
| 2014 | $747 | $2,014 |
| 2013 | $689 | $2,132 |
| 2012 | $647 | $2,298 |
| 2011 | $634 | $2,407 |
| 2010 | $579 | $2,384 |
| 2009 | $507 | $2,303 |
| 2008 | $540 | $2,165 |
| 2007 | $577 | $1,964 |
| 2006 | $525 | $1,879 |
| 2005 | $464 | $1,812 |
| 2004 | $375 | $1,692 |
| 2003 | $334 | $1,527 |
| 2002 | $299 | $1,325 |
| 2001 | $276 | $1,173 |
| 2000 | $296 | $1,143 |
| 1999 | $261 | $1,074 |
| 1998 | $227 | $1,059 |
| 1997 | $324 | $1,077 |
| 1996 | $361 | $1,068 |
| 1995 | $356 | $1,109 |
| 1994 | $300 | $1,167 |
| 1993 | $277 | $1,213 |
| 1992 | $261 | $1,260 |
| 1991 | $247 | $1,174 |
| 1990 | $231 | $1,291 |
| 1989 | $219 | $1,290 |
| 1988 | $181 | $1,252 |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence for each person living there, in US dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation.
- 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 in US dollarsSouth Korea: $48.9B in 2025United States: $929B 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