Republic of Korea vs Upper middle income: Military expenditure

Republic of Korea
47.57 billion current USD
in 2024
Upper middle income
551.35 billion current USD
in 2024
Republic of Korea rank
11th
Upper middle income rank
12th

Military expenditure over time

  • Republic of Korea
  • Upper middle income
0200.0B400.0B600.0B196019922024

How they compare

Upper middle income currently reports 551.35 billion current USD against 47.57 billion current USD in Republic of Korea, a difference of 503.78 billion current USD.

That makes Upper middle income's figure about 11.6 times Republic of Korea's.

Across all 36 years both countries report, Upper middle income has been ahead every year.

Republic of 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 Republic of 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, Republic of Korea or Upper middle income?
Upper middle income, at 551.35 billion current USD against 47.57 billion current USD in Republic of Korea as of 2024.
What is the difference in military expenditure between Republic of Korea and Upper middle income?
503.78 billion current USD, with Upper middle income ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Republic of Korea and Upper middle income?
36 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2024.
How do Republic of Korea and Upper middle income rank globally for military expenditure?
Republic of 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.

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Republic of Korea vs Upper middle income: Military expenditure. Statizoid, drawing on SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/military-expenditure-current-usd/korea-rep/upper-middle-income/

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About this data

Indicator
Military expenditure (current USD)
Unit
current USD
Source
SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
211 places, 10,601 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed

Military spending USD, in current prices (converted at the exchange rate for the given year)