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$, in 1985.
South Korea ranks 38th of 160 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 21,677 constant 2024 US$ | 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
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.1 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.7164 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.8996 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 2.24 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.9115 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 135 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
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.
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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.