South Korea vs OECD members: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure)
South Korea
10.8%
in 2025
OECD members
6.1%
in 2024
South Korea rank
31st
OECD members rank
28th
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) over time
- South Korea
- OECD members
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 10.8% against 6.1% in OECD members, a difference of 4.7%.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.8 times OECD members's.
Across all 26 years both countries report, South Korea has been ahead every year.
South Korea ranks 31st and OECD members ranks 28th of 164 countries.
South Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | OECD members | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.4% | 4.0% | 15.4% | South Korea |
| 2000s | 12.6% | 6.2% | 6.4% | South Korea |
| 2010s | 12.6% | 5.7% | 6.9% | South Korea |
| 2020s | 10.8% | 5.4% | 5.4% | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, South Korea or OECD members?
- South Korea, at 10.8% against 6.1% in OECD members as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between South Korea and OECD members?
- 4.7%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and OECD members?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2024.
- How do South Korea and OECD members rank globally for military expenditure?
- South Korea ranks 31st and OECD members ranks 28th 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