South Korea vs Ukraine: Military spending
South Korea
48.85 billion constant 2024 US$
in 2025
Ukraine
77.56 billion constant 2024 US$
in 2025
South Korea rank
11th
Ukraine rank
8th
Military spending over time
- South Korea
- Ukraine
How they compare
Ukraine currently reports 77.56 billion constant 2024 US$ against 48.85 billion constant 2024 US$ in South Korea, a difference of 28.71 billion constant 2024 US$.
That makes Ukraine's figure about 1.6 times South Korea's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 33 shared years of data; in 1993 it was South Korea ahead.
South Korea ranks 11th and Ukraine ranks 8th of 162 countries.
South Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Ukraine | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.51 billion constant 2024 US$ | 1.61 billion constant 2024 US$ | 17.90 billion constant 2024 US$ | South Korea |
| 2000s | 25.06 billion constant 2024 US$ | 2.65 billion constant 2024 US$ | 22.41 billion constant 2024 US$ | South Korea |
| 2010s | 36.08 billion constant 2024 US$ | 4.46 billion constant 2024 US$ | 31.63 billion constant 2024 US$ | South Korea |
| 2020s | 47.16 billion constant 2024 US$ | 43.31 billion constant 2024 US$ | 3.85 billion constant 2024 US$ | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending, South Korea or Ukraine?
- Ukraine, at 77.56 billion constant 2024 US$ against 48.85 billion constant 2024 US$ in South Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending between South Korea and Ukraine?
- 28.71 billion constant 2024 US$, with Ukraine ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Ukraine?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2025.
- How do South Korea and Ukraine rank globally for military spending?
- South Korea ranks 11th and Ukraine ranks 8th of 162 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military spending. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.