South Korea

Military share of state spending in South Korea

Military share of state spending in South Korea: 20.3% of government spending in 1995 and 10.8% of government spending in 2025, by SIPRI estimates.

Latest, 2025
10.8% of government spending
Since 1995
−9.5 percentage points
Rank, 2025
24 of 150
counting from the highest
Watch it change on the map

% of government spending · SIPRI

Military share of state spending in South KoreaMilitary share of state spending in South Korea: 20.3% of government spending in 1995 and 10.8% of government spending in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. The highest was 20.3% of government spending in 1995, the lowest 9.7% of government spending in 2022.
Estimates, SIPRISIPRI estimate

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 20.3% of government spending in 1995, the lowest 9.7% of government spending in 2022.

Every year

% of government spending · SIPRI

YearSouth Korea
202510.8
202411.3
202311.2
20229.7
202110.9
202011.2
201911.9
201812.3
201712.3
201612.6
201512.6
201412.8
201312.6
201212.7
201113
201013.2
200912.8
200812.5
200712.1
200612.3
200512.6
200411.7
200312.2
200213.7
200113.5
200014.4
199914.5
199816.4
199718.2
199618.5
199520.3
  • Estimate

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 in numbers

Every measure for South Korea on one page

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment

Other places nearby