South Korea vs Russia: Military expenditure (current LCU)
South Korea
67.92 trillion current LCU
in 2025
Russia
15.96 trillion current LCU
in 2025
South Korea rank
6th
Russia rank
8th
Military expenditure (current LCU) over time
- South Korea
- Russia
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 67.92 trillion current LCU against 15.96 trillion current LCU in Russia, a difference of 51.96 trillion current LCU.
That makes South Korea's figure about 4.3 times Russia's.
Across all 38 years both countries report, South Korea has been ahead every year.
South Korea ranks 6th and Russia ranks 8th of 168 countries.
South Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Russia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.66 trillion current LCU | 136.43 million current LCU | 5.66 trillion current LCU | South Korea |
| 1990s | 11.75 trillion current LCU | 57.30 billion current LCU | 11.70 trillion current LCU | South Korea |
| 2000s | 22.19 trillion current LCU | 801.97 billion current LCU | 21.39 trillion current LCU | South Korea |
| 2010s | 40.75 trillion current LCU | 3.31 trillion current LCU | 37.44 trillion current LCU | South Korea |
| 2020s | 61.28 trillion current LCU | 9.26 trillion current LCU | 52.03 trillion current LCU | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, South Korea or Russia?
- South Korea, at 67.92 trillion current LCU against 15.96 trillion current LCU in Russia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between South Korea and Russia?
- 51.96 trillion current LCU, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Russia?
- 38 years are reported by both, from 1987 to 2025.
- How do South Korea and Russia rank globally for military expenditure?
- South Korea ranks 6th and Russia ranks 8th of 168 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Military expenditure (current LCU). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Military expenditure in local currency at current prices (by calendar year)