South Korea vs Upper middle income: Military expenditure (current USD)
South Korea
47.57 billion current USD
in 2024
Upper middle income
551.35 billion current USD
in 2024
South Korea rank
11th
Upper middle income rank
12th
Military expenditure (current USD) over time
- South Korea
- Upper middle income
How they compare
Upper middle income currently reports 551.35 billion current USD against 47.57 billion current USD in South Korea, a difference of 503.78 billion current USD.
That makes Upper middle income's figure about 11.6 times South Korea's.
Across all 36 years both countries report, Upper middle income has been ahead every year.
South Korea ranks 11th and Upper middle income ranks 12th of 168 countries.
Upper middle income has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Upper middle income | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 9.47 billion current USD | 56.23 billion current USD | 46.76 billion current USD | Upper middle income |
| 1990s | 12.85 billion current USD | 64.20 billion current USD | 51.35 billion current USD | Upper middle income |
| 2000s | 20.02 billion current USD | 123.20 billion current USD | 103.18 billion current USD | Upper middle income |
| 2010s | 36.28 billion current USD | 328.85 billion current USD | 292.57 billion current USD | Upper middle income |
| 2020s | 47.75 billion current USD | 467.45 billion current USD | 419.70 billion current USD | Upper middle income |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, South Korea or Upper middle income?
- Upper middle income, at 551.35 billion current USD against 47.57 billion current USD in South Korea as of 2024.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between South Korea and Upper middle income?
- 503.78 billion current USD, with Upper middle income ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Upper middle income?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2024.
- How do South Korea and Upper middle income rank globally for military expenditure?
- South Korea ranks 11th and Upper middle income ranks 12th of 168 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Military expenditure (current USD). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Military spending USD, in current prices (converted at the exchange rate for the given year)