Military spending per armed forces personnel in South Korea
South Korea: Military spending per armed forces personnel was 80,076 constant 2024 US$ in 2020. ▲ Rising
Military spending per armed forces personnel in South Korea, 1985–2020
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2024 US$.
Analysis
In 2020, military spending per armed forces personnel in South Korea stood at 80,076 constant 2024 US$. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
The figure is up 13.4% on the previous year and up 67.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending per armed forces personnel in South Korea peaked at 80,076 constant 2024 US$ in 2020 and was at its lowest, 20,134 constant 2024 US$, in 1985.
South Korea ranks 38th of 160 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Military spending per armed forces personnel in South Korea, year by year
| Year | constant 2024 US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 20,134 constant 2024 US$ | — |
| 1989 | 23,221 constant 2024 US$ | +15.3% |
| 1990 | 23,960 constant 2024 US$ | +3.2% |
| 1991 | 21,332 constant 2024 US$ | -11.0% |
| 1992 | 22,644 constant 2024 US$ | +6.1% |
| 1993 | 23,687 constant 2024 US$ | +4.6% |
| 1994 | 24,372 constant 2024 US$ | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 31,174 constant 2024 US$ | +27.9% |
| 1996 | 30,335 constant 2024 US$ | -2.7% |
| 1997 | 30,691 constant 2024 US$ | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 29,619 constant 2024 US$ | -3.5% |
| 1999 | 28,824 constant 2024 US$ | -2.7% |
| 2000 | 30,108 constant 2024 US$ | +4.5% |
| 2001 | 30,969 constant 2024 US$ | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 31,685 constant 2024 US$ | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 32,762 constant 2024 US$ | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 33,931 constant 2024 US$ | +3.6% |
| 2005 | 36,856 constant 2024 US$ | +8.6% |
| 2006 | 38,239 constant 2024 US$ | +3.8% |
| 2007 | 39,971 constant 2024 US$ | +4.5% |
| 2008 | 42,586 constant 2024 US$ | +6.5% |
| 2009 | 47,494 constant 2024 US$ | +11.5% |
| 2010 | 47,889 constant 2024 US$ | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 48,545 constant 2024 US$ | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 49,781 constant 2024 US$ | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 51,289 constant 2024 US$ | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 55,582 constant 2024 US$ | +8.4% |
| 2015 | 57,559 constant 2024 US$ | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 59,048 constant 2024 US$ | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 60,134 constant 2024 US$ | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 65,886 constant 2024 US$ | +9.6% |
| 2019 | 70,613 constant 2024 US$ | +7.2% |
| 2020 | 80,076 constant 2024 US$ | +13.4% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 80,076 constant 2024 US$ is below the median for high income countries, which is 131,220 constant 2024 US$, 61% of the median. (54 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 80,076 constant 2024 US$ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 23,831 constant 2024 US$, 3.4× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military spending per armed forces personnel in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +27.9% | 24,372 constant 2024 US$ | 31,174 constant 2024 US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 21,677 constant 2024 US$ | 20,134 constant 2024 US$ | 23,221 constant 2024 US$ | 2 |
| 1990s | 26,664 constant 2024 US$ | 21,332 constant 2024 US$ | 31,174 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 36,460 constant 2024 US$ | 30,108 constant 2024 US$ | 47,494 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 56,633 constant 2024 US$ | 47,889 constant 2024 US$ | 70,613 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 80,076 constant 2024 US$ | 80,076 constant 2024 US$ | 80,076 constant 2024 US$ | 1 |
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 spending per armed forces personnel in South Korea?
- Military spending per armed forces personnel in South Korea was 80,076 constant 2024 US$ in 2020, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 80,076 constant 2024 US$ in 2020.
- What is the lowest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 20,134 constant 2024 US$ in 1985.
- How does South Korea rank for military spending per armed forces personnel?
- South Korea ranks 38th out of 160 countries with data for 2020.
- Is military spending per armed forces personnel rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 67.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending per armed forces personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total military expenditure divided by armed forces personnel. 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.