Iran vs South Korea: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure)
Iran
11.2%
in 2025
South Korea
10.8%
in 2025
Iran rank
28th
South Korea rank
31st
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) over time
- Iran
- South Korea
How they compare
Iran currently reports 11.2% against 10.8% in South Korea, a difference of 0.4%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 31 shared years of data; in 1995 it was South Korea ahead.
Iran ranks 28th and South Korea ranks 31st of 164 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 3 and South Korea in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.3% | 17.6% | 6.3% | South Korea |
| 2000s | 13.9% | 12.8% | 1.1% | Iran |
| 2010s | 15.5% | 12.6% | 2.9% | Iran |
| 2020s | 13.4% | 10.8% | 2.6% | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, Iran or South Korea?
- Iran, at 11.2% against 10.8% in South Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between Iran and South Korea?
- 0.4%, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and South Korea?
- 31 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2025.
- How do Iran and South Korea rank globally for military expenditure?
- Iran ranks 28th and South Korea ranks 31st of 164 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Military expenditure expressed as a percentage of general government expenditure