South Korea vs Vietnam
South Korea vs Vietnam: GDP per person
GDP per person in 2025: $37,470 in South Korea and $4,308 in Vietnam, by World Bank estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by $33,162, or 8.7 times that in Vietnam.
US dollars at 2015 prices · World Bank
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1984.
- In 2025, South Korea ranked 27 and Vietnam ranked 117 of 186 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: $12,130 in 2025.
Every year
US dollars at 2015 prices · World Bank
| Year | South Korea | Vietnam | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $37,470 | $4,308 | $12,130 |
| 2024 | $37,050 | $4,013 | $11,890 |
| 2023 | $36,350 | $3,772 | $11,670 |
| 2022 | $35,810 | $3,618 | $11,450 |
| 2021 | $34,790 | $3,358 | $11,170 |
| 2020 | $33,220 | $3,303 | $10,580 |
| 2019 | $33,500 | $3,241 | $11,000 |
| 2018 | $32,850 | $3,048 | $10,820 |
| 2017 | $31,980 | $2,868 | $10,590 |
| 2016 | $31,010 | $2,716 | $10,360 |
| 2015 | $30,170 | $2,578 | $10,190 |
| 2014 | $29,470 | $2,439 | $10,000 |
| 2013 | $28,730 | $2,320 | $9,811 |
| 2012 | $27,940 | $2,224 | $9,654 |
| 2011 | $27,390 | $2,133 | $9,515 |
| 2010 | $26,620 | $2,028 | $9,322 |
| 2009 | $25,010 | $1,927 | $9,028 |
| 2008 | $24,930 | $1,856 | $9,266 |
| 2007 | $24,390 | $1,789 | $9,191 |
| 2006 | $23,160 | $1,700 | $8,913 |
| 2005 | $22,120 | $1,610 | $8,639 |
| 2004 | $21,240 | $1,511 | $8,409 |
| 2003 | $20,280 | $1,419 | $8,151 |
| 2002 | $19,780 | $1,341 | $8,011 |
| 2001 | $18,460 | $1,274 | $7,932 |
| 2000 | $17,760 | $1,212 | $7,880 |
| 1999 | $16,400 | $1,148 | $7,639 |
| 1998 | $14,800 | $1,110 | $7,479 |
| 1997 | $15,680 | $1,065 | $7,382 |
| 1996 | $14,890 | $999 | $7,203 |
| 1995 | $13,920 | $928 | $7,058 |
| 1994 | $12,820 | $861 | $6,944 |
| 1993 | $11,840 | $806 | $6,819 |
| 1992 | $11,180 | $760 | $6,801 |
| 1991 | $10,620 | $714 | $6,773 |
| 1990 | $9,673 | $688 | $6,804 |
| 1989 | $8,878 | $668 | $6,741 |
| 1988 | $8,367 | $635 | $6,620 |
| 1987 | $7,535 | $617 | $6,446 |
| 1986 | $6,741 | $608 | $6,326 |
| 1985 | $6,106 | $604 | $6,233 |
| 1984 | $5,713 | $596 | $6,120 |
| 1983 | $5,228 | – | $5,947 |
| 1982 | $4,676 | – | $5,903 |
| 1981 | $4,378 | – | $5,986 |
| 1980 | $4,140 | – | $5,980 |
| 1979 | $4,270 | – | $5,978 |
| 1978 | $3,987 | – | $5,843 |
| 1977 | $3,645 | – | $5,710 |
| 1976 | $3,294 | – | $5,591 |
| 1975 | $2,955 | – | $5,410 |
| 1974 | $2,784 | – | $5,467 |
| 1973 | $2,583 | – | $5,465 |
| 1972 | $2,287 | – | $5,236 |
| 1971 | $2,171 | – | $5,061 |
| 1970 | $2,001 | – | $4,964 |
| 1969 | $1,856 | – | $4,885 |
| 1968 | $1,657 | – | $4,707 |
| 1967 | $1,498 | – | $4,535 |
| 1966 | $1,405 | – | $4,461 |
| 1965 | $1,286 | – | $4,321 |
| 1964 | $1,229 | – | $4,176 |
| 1963 | $1,153 | – | $3,999 |
| 1962 | $1,088 | – | $3,889 |
| 1961 | $1,077 | – | $3,759 |
| 1960 | $1,038 | – | $3,667 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The value of everything produced in the country in a year, divided by its people, in 2015 US dollars so that years compare.
- Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators.
- Ranks count the 186 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 Vietnam
Health
- Life expectancySouth Korea: 84.3 years in 2023Vietnam: 74.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024Vietnam: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Vietnam: 15.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterSouth Korea: 99.3% in 2022Vietnam: 57.8% in 2022
- DepressionSouth Korea: 3.17% in 2017Vietnam: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Vietnam: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023Vietnam: 100 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023Vietnam: 0.64% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023Vietnam: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Korea: 81.2% in 2025Vietnam: 38.8% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Korea: 44.5 years in 2023Vietnam: 32.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Korea: 18.3% in 2023Vietnam: 8.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023Vietnam: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025Vietnam: 2.15% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Korea: $48.9B in 2025Vietnam: $10.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Korea: $924 in 2025Vietnam: $104 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025Vietnam: 9.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Korea: 569,000 people in 2020Vietnam: 522,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022Vietnam: 1.11% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020Vietnam: 0.95% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025Vietnam: 177 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025Vietnam: 10 million TIV in 2018