Japan vs South Korea: Military spending sipri
Japan
59.49 billion
in 2025
South Korea
48.85 billion
in 2025
Japan rank
10th
South Korea rank
11th
Military spending sipri over time
- Japan
- South Korea
How they compare
Japan currently reports 59.49 billion against 48.85 billion in South Korea, a difference of 10.65 billion.
That makes Japan's figure about 1.2 times South Korea's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 73 shared years of data; in 1953 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 10th and South Korea ranks 11th of 162 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 7 and South Korea in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 7.08 billion | 583.59 million | 6.50 billion | Japan |
| 1960s | 8.85 billion | 1.16 billion | 7.69 billion | Japan |
| 1970s | 17.47 billion | 5.10 billion | 12.38 billion | Japan |
| 1980s | 26.23 billion | 11.95 billion | 14.28 billion | Japan |
| 1990s | 35.03 billion | 18.51 billion | 16.52 billion | Japan |
| 2000s | 36.40 billion | 25.06 billion | 11.35 billion | Japan |
| 2010s | 37.11 billion | 36.08 billion | 1.03 billion | Japan |
| 2020s | 46.83 billion | 47.16 billion | 330.45 million | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending sipri, Japan or South Korea?
- Japan, at 59.49 billion against 48.85 billion in South Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending sipri between Japan and South Korea?
- 10.65 billion, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Korea?
- 73 years are reported by both, from 1953 to 2025.
- How do Japan and South Korea rank globally for military spending sipri?
- Japan ranks 10th and South Korea ranks 11th of 162 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Military spending sipri. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.