Military expenditure as a share of government spending in South Korea
South Korea: Military expenditure as a share of government spending was 10.79 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure as a share of government spending in South Korea, 1995–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, military expenditure as a share of government spending in South Korea stood at 10.79.
That represents a change of down 4.2% on the previous year and down 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure as a share of government spending in South Korea peaked at 20.31 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 9.66, in 2022.
That places South Korea 32nd out of 162 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Military expenditure as a share of government spending in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 20.31 | — |
| 1996 | 18.51 | -8.8% |
| 1997 | 18.16 | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 16.42 | -9.6% |
| 1999 | 14.53 | -11.5% |
| 2000 | 14.42 | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 13.46 | -6.6% |
| 2002 | 13.66 | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 12.17 | -10.9% |
| 2004 | 11.71 | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 12.56 | +7.3% |
| 2006 | 12.28 | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 12.07 | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 12.5 | +3.6% |
| 2009 | 12.79 | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 13.22 | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 12.97 | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 12.71 | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 12.57 | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 12.8 | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 12.64 | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 12.62 | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 12.33 | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 12.25 | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 11.85 | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 11.17 | -5.7% |
| 2021 | 10.87 | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 9.66 | -11.2% |
| 2023 | 11.23 | +16.2% |
| 2024 | 11.27 | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 10.79 | -4.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.59 | 14.53 | 20.31 | 5 |
| 2000s | 12.76 | 11.71 | 14.42 | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.6 | 11.85 | 13.22 | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.83 | 9.66 | 11.27 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More reference data data for South Korea
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9638 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.9281 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2074 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 19.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.13 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure as a share of government spending in South Korea?
- Military expenditure as a share of government spending in South Korea was 10.79 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military expenditure as a share of government spending recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 20.31 in 1995.
- What is the lowest military expenditure as a share of government spending recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.66 in 2022.
- How does South Korea rank for military expenditure as a share of government spending?
- South Korea ranks 32nd out of 162 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure as a share of government spending rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Military expenditure as a share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).