South Korea vs North Macedonia: Share of government spending going to interest payments
South Korea
4.4%
in 2023
North Macedonia
4.3%
in 2023
South Korea rank
95th
North Macedonia rank
97th
Share of government spending going to interest payments over time
- South Korea
- North Macedonia
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 4.4% against 4.3% in North Macedonia, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 19 shared years of data; in 2005 it was South Korea ahead.
South Korea ranks 95th and North Macedonia ranks 97th of 152 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 2 and North Macedonia in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | North Macedonia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6.2% | 2.6% | 3.7% | South Korea |
| 2010s | 5.1% | 3.6% | 1.5% | South Korea |
| 2020s | 3.7% | 3.7% | 0.0% | North Macedonia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of government spending going to interest payments, South Korea or North Macedonia?
- South Korea, at 4.4% against 4.3% in North Macedonia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in share of government spending going to interest payments between South Korea and North Macedonia?
- 0.1%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and North Macedonia?
- 19 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2023.
- How do South Korea and North Macedonia rank globally for share of government spending going to interest payments?
- South Korea ranks 95th and North Macedonia ranks 97th of 152 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Share of government spending going to interest payments. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Interest expenditures on government debt, as share of total central government expenditures. Interest expenditures on government debt include payments on long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments.