South Korea vs Vietnam
South Korea vs Vietnam: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $48.9B in South Korea and $10.9B in Vietnam, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by $37.9B, or 4.48 times that in Vietnam.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1987.
- In 2025, South Korea ranked 11 and Vietnam ranked 32 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | South Korea | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $48.9B | $10.9B |
| 2024 | $47.6B | $8.59B |
| 2023 | $46.8B | $8.12B |
| 2022 | $46.6B | $7.31B |
| 2021 | $47.6B | $7.96B |
| 2020 | $45.6B | $7.73B |
| 2019 | $43.3B | $8.03B |
| 2018 | $40.1B | $7.69B |
| 2017 | $38.1B | $7.32B |
| 2016 | $37.4B | $7.34B |
| 2015 | $36.5B | $7.2B |
| 2014 | $35.2B | $6.51B |
| 2013 | $33.8B | $6.58B |
| 2012 | $32.8B | $5.99B |
| 2011 | $32B | $4.11B |
| 2010 | $31.6B | $3.96B |
| 2009 | $31.3B | $4.23B |
| 2008 | $29.5B | $3.06B |
| 2007 | $27.7B | $3.24B |
| 2006 | $26.5B | $2.51B |
| 2005 | $25.5B | $2.13B |
| 2004 | $23.6B | $2.05B |
| 2003 | $22.6B | $2B |
| 2002 | $21.9B | – |
| 2001 | $21.3B | – |
| 2000 | $20.7B | – |
| 1999 | $19.5B | – |
| 1998 | $20B | – |
| 1997 | $20.8B | – |
| 1996 | $20.3B | – |
| 1995 | $20B | – |
| 1994 | $18.3B | $1.08B |
| 1993 | $17.8B | $793M |
| 1992 | $17B | $1.01B |
| 1991 | $16B | $1.6B |
| 1990 | $15.6B | $2.25B |
| 1989 | $15B | $1.89B |
| 1988 | $14.1B | $1.43B |
| 1987 | $13.3B | $884M |
| 1986 | $13B | – |
| 1985 | $12B | – |
| 1984 | $11.1B | – |
| 1983 | $10.9B | – |
| 1982 | $10.4B | – |
| 1981 | $10B | – |
| 1980 | $9.66B | – |
| 1979 | $8.82B | – |
| 1978 | $9.39B | – |
| 1977 | $7.54B | – |
| 1976 | $6.34B | – |
| 1975 | $4.41B | – |
| 1974 | $3.82B | – |
| 1973 | $2.99B | – |
| 1972 | $2.97B | – |
| 1971 | $2.54B | – |
| 1970 | $2.16B | – |
| 1969 | $2.09B | – |
| 1968 | $1.81B | – |
| 1967 | $1.54B | – |
| 1966 | $1.38B | – |
| 1965 | $767M | – |
| 1964 | $730M | – |
| 1963 | $771M | – |
| 1962 | $933M | – |
| 1961 | $804M | – |
| 1960 | $771M | – |
| 1959 | $796M | – |
| 1958 | $750M | – |
| 1957 | $635M | – |
| 1956 | $739M | – |
| 1955 | $516M | – |
| 1954 | $465M | – |
| 1953 | $185M | – |
- 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 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 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