Korea vs Upper middle income: Military expenditure

Korea
11.3%
in 2024
Upper middle income
5.8%
in 2024
Korea rank
29th
Upper middle income rank
30th

Military expenditure over time

  • Korea
  • Upper middle income
5101520199520092024

How they compare

Korea currently reports 11.3% against 5.8% in Upper middle income, a difference of 5.5%.

That makes Korea's figure about 2.0 times Upper middle income's.

Across all 26 years both countries report, Korea has been ahead every year.

Korea ranks 29th and Upper middle income ranks 30th of 161 countries.

Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Korea Upper middle income Difference Ahead
1990s 14.5% 9.3% 5.3% Korea
2000s 12.8% 7.4% 5.4% Korea
2010s 12.6% 5.5% 7.1% Korea
2020s 10.8% 5.3% 5.5% Korea

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher military expenditure, Korea or Upper middle income?
Korea, at 11.3% against 5.8% in Upper middle income as of 2024.
What is the difference in military expenditure between Korea and Upper middle income?
5.5%, with Korea ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Korea and Upper middle income?
26 years are reported by both, from 1999 to 2024.
How do Korea and Upper middle income rank globally for military expenditure?
Korea ranks 29th and Upper middle income ranks 30th of 161 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.

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Korea vs Upper middle income: Military expenditure. Statizoid, drawing on SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/military-expenditure-percent-of-general-government-expenditure/korea-rep/upper-middle-income/

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About this data

Indicator
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure)
Unit
% of general government expenditure
Source
SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
204 places, 5,828 data points, 1988–2024
Last refreshed

Military expenditure expressed as a percentage of general government expenditure