Military spending in South Korea
South Korea: Military spending was 57.02 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
57.02 billion constant 2022 US$
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
11th
of 172 countries
All-time high
58.08 billion constant 2022 US$
in 2021
All-time low
123.11 million constant 2022 US$
in 1949
Years of data
75
1949–2023
Military spending in South Korea, 1949–2023
Source: Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2022 US$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military spending in South Korea is 57.02 billion constant 2022 US$, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 56.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending in South Korea peaked at 58.08 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2021 and was at its lowest, 123.11 million constant 2022 US$, in 1949.
That places South Korea 11th out of 172 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military spending in South Korea, year by year
| Year | constant 2022 US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 | 123.11 million constant 2022 US$ | — |
| 1950 | 325.48 million constant 2022 US$ | +164.4% |
| 1951 | 327.48 million constant 2022 US$ | +0.6% |
| 1952 | 522.81 million constant 2022 US$ | +59.6% |
| 1953 | 698.54 million constant 2022 US$ | +33.6% |
| 1954 | 850.10 million constant 2022 US$ | +21.7% |
| 1955 | 896.23 million constant 2022 US$ | +5.4% |
| 1956 | 1.05 billion constant 2022 US$ | +17.1% |
| 1957 | 963.19 million constant 2022 US$ | -8.2% |
| 1958 | 987.03 million constant 2022 US$ | +2.5% |
| 1959 | 1.04 billion constant 2022 US$ | +5.4% |
| 1960 | 992.70 million constant 2022 US$ | -4.5% |
| 1961 | 978.16 million constant 2022 US$ | -1.5% |
| 1962 | 1.08 billion constant 2022 US$ | +10.0% |
| 1963 | 945.34 million constant 2022 US$ | -12.1% |
| 1964 | 937.16 million constant 2022 US$ | -0.9% |
| 1965 | 783.85 million constant 2022 US$ | -16.4% |
| 1966 | 1.15 billion constant 2022 US$ | +46.6% |
| 1967 | 1.30 billion constant 2022 US$ | +13.4% |
| 1968 | 1.63 billion constant 2022 US$ | +24.8% |
| 1969 | 1.95 billion constant 2022 US$ | +19.9% |
| 1970 | 1.97 billion constant 2022 US$ | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 2.40 billion constant 2022 US$ | +21.7% |
| 1972 | 2.49 billion constant 2022 US$ | +3.8% |
| 1973 | 2.59 billion constant 2022 US$ | +3.9% |
| 1974 | 3.14 billion constant 2022 US$ | +21.5% |
| 1975 | 3.80 billion constant 2022 US$ | +20.8% |
| 1976 | 5.15 billion constant 2022 US$ | +35.7% |
| 1977 | 6.37 billion constant 2022 US$ | +23.6% |
| 1978 | 7.66 billion constant 2022 US$ | +20.3% |
| 1979 | 8.96 billion constant 2022 US$ | +17.1% |
| 1980 | 8.98 billion constant 2022 US$ | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 10.44 billion constant 2022 US$ | +16.3% |
| 1982 | 10.93 billion constant 2022 US$ | +4.7% |
| 1983 | 10.35 billion constant 2022 US$ | -5.3% |
| 1984 | 10.80 billion constant 2022 US$ | +4.3% |
| 1985 | 11.55 billion constant 2022 US$ | +7.0% |
| 1986 | 12.80 billion constant 2022 US$ | +10.8% |
| 1987 | 13.64 billion constant 2022 US$ | +6.6% |
| 1988 | 15.48 billion constant 2022 US$ | +13.5% |
| 1989 | 17.00 billion constant 2022 US$ | +9.8% |
| 1990 | 18.06 billion constant 2022 US$ | +6.3% |
| 1991 | 18.12 billion constant 2022 US$ | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 19.95 billion constant 2022 US$ | +10.1% |
| 1993 | 20.66 billion constant 2022 US$ | +3.6% |
| 1994 | 21.77 billion constant 2022 US$ | +5.4% |
| 1995 | 24.16 billion constant 2022 US$ | +11.0% |
| 1996 | 24.73 billion constant 2022 US$ | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 25.71 billion constant 2022 US$ | +4.0% |
| 1998 | 20.44 billion constant 2022 US$ | -20.5% |
| 1999 | 20.35 billion constant 2022 US$ | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 19.51 billion constant 2022 US$ | -4.1% |
| 2001 | 19.39 billion constant 2022 US$ | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 20.79 billion constant 2022 US$ | +7.2% |
| 2003 | 22.56 billion constant 2022 US$ | +8.5% |
| 2004 | 24.82 billion constant 2022 US$ | +10.0% |
| 2005 | 27.52 billion constant 2022 US$ | +10.9% |
| 2006 | 30.52 billion constant 2022 US$ | +10.9% |
| 2007 | 32.42 billion constant 2022 US$ | +6.2% |
| 2008 | 30.93 billion constant 2022 US$ | -4.6% |
| 2009 | 28.75 billion constant 2022 US$ | -7.1% |
| 2010 | 31.84 billion constant 2022 US$ | +10.8% |
| 2011 | 32.91 billion constant 2022 US$ | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 35.36 billion constant 2022 US$ | +7.5% |
| 2013 | 36.44 billion constant 2022 US$ | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 40.39 billion constant 2022 US$ | +10.8% |
| 2015 | 38.85 billion constant 2022 US$ | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 40.98 billion constant 2022 US$ | +5.5% |
| 2017 | 46.64 billion constant 2022 US$ | +13.8% |
| 2018 | 49.50 billion constant 2022 US$ | +6.1% |
| 2019 | 53.06 billion constant 2022 US$ | +7.2% |
| 2020 | 54.62 billion constant 2022 US$ | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 58.08 billion constant 2022 US$ | +6.3% |
| 2022 | 56.26 billion constant 2022 US$ | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 57.02 billion constant 2022 US$ | +1.3% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 57.02 billion constant 2022 US$ is above the median for high income countries, which is 6.50 billion constant 2022 US$, 8.8× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 57.02 billion constant 2022 US$ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.15 billion constant 2022 US$, 13.7× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military spending in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | +164.4% | 123.11 million constant 2022 US$ | 325.48 million constant 2022 US$ |
| 1952 | +59.6% | 327.48 million constant 2022 US$ | 522.81 million constant 2022 US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 123.11 million constant 2022 US$ | 123.11 million constant 2022 US$ | 123.11 million constant 2022 US$ | 1 |
| 1950s | 766.01 million constant 2022 US$ | 325.48 million constant 2022 US$ | 1.05 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.17 billion constant 2022 US$ | 783.85 million constant 2022 US$ | 1.95 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.45 billion constant 2022 US$ | 1.97 billion constant 2022 US$ | 8.96 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.20 billion constant 2022 US$ | 8.98 billion constant 2022 US$ | 17.00 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.40 billion constant 2022 US$ | 18.06 billion constant 2022 US$ | 25.71 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.72 billion constant 2022 US$ | 19.39 billion constant 2022 US$ | 32.42 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.60 billion constant 2022 US$ | 31.84 billion constant 2022 US$ | 53.06 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 56.50 billion constant 2022 US$ | 54.62 billion constant 2022 US$ | 58.08 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 8 Ukraine 62.62 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 9 Japan 62.31 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 10 Germany 62.28 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 12 Italy 41.14 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 13 Australia 38.94 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 14 Canada 32.57 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
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 spending in South Korea?
- Military spending in South Korea was 57.02 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2023, according to Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 58.08 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2021.
- What is the lowest military spending recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 123.11 million constant 2022 US$ in 1949.
- How does South Korea rank for military spending?
- South Korea ranks 11th out of 172 countries with data for 2023.
- Is military spending rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 56.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.