Military expenditure in Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea: Military expenditure was 11.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in Republic of Korea, 1995–2024
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of general government expenditure.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military expenditure in Republic of Korea is 11.3%, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 11.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Republic of Korea peaked at 20.3% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 9.7%, in 2022.
That places Republic of Korea 29th out of 161 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 30 years of available data.
Military expenditure in Republic of Korea, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 20.3% | — |
| 1996 | 18.5% | -8.8% |
| 1997 | 18.2% | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 16.4% | -9.6% |
| 1999 | 14.5% | -11.5% |
| 2000 | 14.4% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 13.5% | -6.6% |
| 2002 | 13.7% | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 12.2% | -10.9% |
| 2004 | 11.7% | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 12.6% | +7.3% |
| 2006 | 12.3% | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 12.1% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 12.5% | +3.6% |
| 2009 | 12.8% | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 13.2% | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 13.0% | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 12.7% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 12.6% | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 12.8% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 12.6% | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 12.6% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 12.3% | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 12.2% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 11.8% | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 11.2% | -5.7% |
| 2021 | 10.9% | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 9.7% | -11.2% |
| 2023 | 11.2% | +16.2% |
| 2024 | 11.3% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.6% | 14.5% | 20.3% | 5 |
| 2000s | 12.8% | 11.7% | 14.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.6% | 11.8% | 13.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.8% | 9.7% | 11.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Republic of Korea
- 26 Iran, Islamic Republic of 12.5% compare
- 27 Burundi 12.5% compare
- 28 Brunei Darussalam 12.1% compare
- 30 Uzbekistan 11.1% compare
- 31 Morocco 10.7% compare
- 32 Afghanistan 10.3% compare
More public sector data for Republic of Korea
- Arms imports 1.01 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 19.5 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0005 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 362.84 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 1.01 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 919.23 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0254 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate -0.4824 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 47.57 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 2,234 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Republic of Korea?
- Military expenditure in Republic of Korea was 11.3% in 2024, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 20.3% in 1995.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.7% in 2022.
- How does Republic of Korea rank for military expenditure?
- Republic of Korea ranks 29th out of 161 countries with data for 2024.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Republic of Korea data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Military expenditure expressed as a percentage of general government expenditure