South Korea vs Spain

South Korea and Spain compared on 154 measures that both have. Each pair of values is for the same period, the latest one with data for both countries, so the year can differ from one row to the next.

Where South Korea and Spain differ most

Measures where one value is the largest multiple of the other, among measures with positive values. Totals such as population, index values and growth rates are left out, because their size says little about the difference.

Population and ageing

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
Population estimates and projections
people
51,748,739 people 47,911,580 people +8.0% 2023 UN Population Division
Median age estimates and projections
years
44.5 years 44.9 years −0.9% 2023 UN Population Division
Fertility rate estimates and projections
live births per woman
0.72 births per woman 1.21 births per woman −40.6% 2023 UN Population Division
Population growth estimates and projections
% per year
-0.04% 0.02% −0.06 percentage points 2023 UN Population Division
Population
people
51,684,564 people 49,355,143 people +4.7% 2025 World Bank
Population growth
annual % change
-0.13% 1.03% −1.16 percentage points 2025 World Bank
Population aged 65 and over
% of total population
20.3% 21.6% −1.3 percentage points 2025 World Bank
Population aged 0 to 14
% of total population
10.2% 12.6% −2.4 percentage points 2025 World Bank
Fertility rate
births per woman
0.75 births per woman 1.10 births per woman −32.0% 2024 World Bank
Crude birth rate
births per 1,000 people
4.7 per 1,000 people 6.5 per 1,000 people −1.8 per 1,000 people 2024 World Bank
Crude death rate
deaths per 1,000 people
7.0 per 1,000 people 8.9 per 1,000 people −1.9 per 1,000 people 2024 World Bank
Urban population share
% of total population
81.2% 80.5% +0.7 percentage points 2025 World Bank
Adolescent birth rate
births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19
0.5 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 4.9 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 −4.3 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 2024 World Bank
Age dependency ratio
dependants per 100 people aged 15 to 64
44.0 per 100 working-age people 52.1 per 100 working-age people −8.2 per 100 working-age people 2025 World Bank
Population density
people per square kilometre of land
530.2 people per km² 97.8 people per km² +442.4% 2024 World Bank
Urban population growth
annual % change
-0.12% 1.28% −1.40 percentage points 2025 World Bank

Migration and citizenship

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
Net migration estimates and projections
per 1,000 people
1.7 per 1,000 people 2.5 per 1,000 people −0.8 per 1,000 people 2023 UN Population Division
Net migration
people
65,731 people 96,630 people −32.0% 2025 World Bank
International migrant stock
% of population
3.5% 18.5% −15.0 percentage points 2024 World Bank
Personal remittances received
% of GDP
0.4% 0.4% 0 percentage points 2025 World Bank

Employment and occupations

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
ILO estimate of the unemployment rate
% of the labour force aged 15 and over
2.7% 10.4% −7.7 percentage points 2025 ILOSTAT
ILO estimate of youth unemployment
% of the labour force aged 15 to 24
6.7% 24.7% −18.1 percentage points 2025 ILOSTAT
Labour force participation
% of working-age population aged 15 and over
64.4% 57.4% +6.9 percentage points 2025 ILOSTAT
Women's labour force participation
% of women aged 15 and over
56.8% 52.8% +4.0 percentage points 2025 ILOSTAT
Employment-to-population ratio
% of population aged 15 and over
62.6% 51.5% +11.2 percentage points 2025 ILOSTAT
OECD monthly unemployment rate
% of the labour force aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted
2.6% 10.3% −7.7 percentage points September 2026 OECD
Employment in agriculture
% of total employment
5.1% 3.4% +1.7 percentage points 2025 World Bank
Employment in industry
% of total employment
23.4% 19.9% +3.5 percentage points 2025 World Bank
Employment in services
% of total employment
71.5% 76.8% −5.3 percentage points 2025 World Bank

Economy and productivity

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
GDP in US dollars
current US dollars
US$1.87 trillion US$1.91 trillion −1.8% 2025 World Bank
GDP per capita in US dollars
current US dollars per person
US$36,227 per person US$38,627 per person −6.2% 2025 World Bank
GDP per capita, PPP
constant 2021 international dollars per person
Int$55,697 per person Int$49,318 per person +12.9% 2025 World Bank
GNI per capita, Atlas method
current US dollars per person
US$37,880 per person US$37,120 per person +2.0% 2025 World Bank
Real GDP growth
annual % change
1.0% 2.8% −1.8 percentage points 2025 World Bank
Services share of GDP
% of GDP
57.2% 68.4% −11.1 percentage points 2025 World Bank
Investment share of GDP
% of GDP
29.1% 21.4% +7.7 percentage points 2025 World Bank
Savings share of GDP
% of GDP
35.6% 24.3% +11.3 percentage points 2025 World Bank
Household consumption per person
constant 2015 US dollars per person
US$17,853 per person US$16,636 per person +7.3% 2025 World Bank

Prices and purchasing power

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
OECD monthly CPI inflation
% change on the same month a year earlier
2.9% 4.9% −2.0 percentage points September 2026 OECD
Consumer price inflation
annual % change
2.1% 2.7% −0.6 percentage points 2025 World Bank
Consumer price index
index, 2010 = 100
135.0 (2010 = 100) 135.0 (2010 = 100) 0 points 2025 World Bank
Inflation measured by the GDP deflator
annual % change
3.1% 2.9% +0.2 percentage points 2025 World Bank
Exchange rate to the US dollar
local currency units per US dollar, annual average
1,422.441 per US$ 0.885 per US$ +160,633.4% 2025 World Bank

Housing and households

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
Slum population
% of urban population
4.5% 0.0% +4.5 percentage points 2022 World Bank

Education and skills

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
ILO estimate of the youth NEET rate
% of youth aged 15 to 24
11.0% 10.2% +0.8 percentage points 2025 ILOSTAT
Lower secondary completion
% of young people 3 to 5 years above the final grade age
100.0% 90.9% +9.1 percentage points 2012 UNESCO UIS
Upper secondary completion
% of young people 3 to 5 years above the final grade age
97.7% 70.8% +26.8 percentage points 2016 UNESCO UIS
Out-of-school children
% of children of primary school age
0.1%nat_est (National estimate) 1.2%nat_est (National estimate) −1.2 percentage points 2024 UNESCO UIS
Out-of-school adolescents
% of adolescents of lower secondary school age
2.9%nat_est (National estimate) 1.8%nat_est (National estimate) +1.1 percentage points 2024 UNESCO UIS
Out-of-school youth
% of youth of upper secondary school age
4.5%nat_est (National estimate) 5.6%nat_est (National estimate) −1.1 percentage points 2024 UNESCO UIS
Primary net enrolment
% of children of primary school age
99.9%nat_est (National estimate) 98.8%nat_est (National estimate) +1.2 percentage points 2024 UNESCO UIS
Youth literacy
% of people aged 15 to 24
99.9% 99.6% +0.4 percentage points 2008 UNESCO UIS
Qualified primary teachers
% of primary teachers
100.0% 100.0% same 2023 UNESCO UIS
Education spending
% of GDP
5.4% 4.6% +0.8 percentage points 2022 World Bank
Primary school enrolment (gross)
% of the official primary school-age population
100.9% 102.9% −2.1 percentage points 2024 World Bank
Tertiary education enrolment (gross)
% of the population in the five years after secondary school age
111.9% 93.8% +18.1 percentage points 2024 World Bank
Adult literacy rate
% of people aged 15 and above
98.0% 97.6% +0.3 percentage points 2008 World Bank
Primary school completion rate
% of the relevant age group
102.9% 98.5% +4.3 percentage points 2024 World Bank
Secondary school enrolment (gross)
% of the official secondary school-age population
96.3% 118.5% −22.3 percentage points 2024 World Bank

Health and healthcare

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
Life expectancy estimates and projections
years
84.3 years 83.7 years +0.8% 2023 UN Population Division
Life expectancy at 65, estimates and projections
years
21.3 years 21.5 years −1.0% 2023 UN Population Division
Healthy life expectancy
years
72.0 years 71.2 years +1.1% 2023 WHO
UHC service coverage
index from 0 to 100
88 84 +4 points 2023 WHO
Alcohol consumption
litres of pure alcohol per person aged 15+
7.59 litres 11.12 litres −31.8% 2024 WHO
Adult obesity
% of adults aged 18+
8.4% 15.3% −6.9 percentage points 2024 WHO
Hypertension
% of adults aged 30 to 79
26.7% 27.2% −0.5 percentage points 2019 WHO
Suicide rate
deaths per 100,000 people
23.4 per 100,000 people 7.1 per 100,000 people +16.3 per 100,000 people 2023 WHO
Premature NCD mortality
% probability
6.6% 9.0% −2.4 percentage points 2023 WHO
Physical inactivity
% of adults aged 18+
60.7% 25.3% +35.3 percentage points 2022 WHO
DTP3 immunisation
% of one-year-olds
97% 93% +4.0 percentage points 2025 WHO
Anaemia in women
% of women aged 15 to 49
15.7% 15.6% +0.1 percentage points 2023 WHO
Poisoning deaths
deaths per 100,000 people
0.2 per 100,000 people 0.3 per 100,000 people −0.1 per 100,000 people 2023 WHO
Nurses and midwives
per 10,000 people
94.9 per 10,000 people 62.2 per 10,000 people +32.7 per 10,000 people 2023 WHO
Dentists
per 10,000 people
5.49 per 10,000 people 6.48 per 10,000 people −0.99 per 10,000 people 2023 WHO
Life expectancy at birth
years
83.6 years 83.9 years −0.3% 2024 World Bank
Life expectancy at birth, women
years
86.6 years 86.5 years +0.1% 2024 World Bank
Life expectancy at birth, men
years
80.8 years 81.4 years −0.7% 2024 World Bank
Health spending share of GDP
% of GDP
8.6% 9.2% −0.7 percentage points 2023 World Bank
Under-five mortality rate
deaths per 1,000 live births
2.8 per 1,000 live births 3.2 per 1,000 live births −0.4 per 1,000 live births 2024 World Bank
Infant mortality rate
deaths per 1,000 live births
2.3 per 1,000 live births 2.6 per 1,000 live births −0.3 per 1,000 live births 2024 World Bank
Maternal mortality ratio
maternal deaths per 100,000 live births
4 per 100,000 live births 3 per 100,000 live births +1 per 100,000 live births 2023 World Bank
Physicians
physicians per 1,000 people
2.61 per 1,000 people 4.29 per 1,000 people −1.68 per 1,000 people 2022 World Bank
Hospital beds
beds per 1,000 people
12.8 per 1,000 people 2.9 per 1,000 people +9.9 per 1,000 people 2022 World Bank
Measles immunisation
% of children aged 12 to 23 months
97% 97% same 2024 World Bank
Tobacco use
% of adults aged 15 and over
18.6% 27.6% −9.0 percentage points 2024 World Bank
Out-of-pocket health spending
% of current health expenditure
31.8% 20.9% +10.9 percentage points 2023 World Bank
Health spending per person
current US dollars per person
US$3,044 per person US$3,107 per person −2.0% 2023 World Bank
Diabetes prevalence
% of population aged 20 to 79
9.6% 9.7% −0.1 percentage points 2024 World Bank
Neonatal mortality rate
deaths per 1,000 live births
1.2 per 1,000 live births 1.7 per 1,000 live births −0.5 per 1,000 live births 2024 World Bank
Tuberculosis incidence
new cases per 100,000 people
35 per 100,000 people 8 per 100,000 people +27 per 100,000 people 2024 World Bank

Internet and digital society

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
Internet users
% of population
97.9% 95.8% +2.1 percentage points 2024 World Bank
Mobile subscriptions
subscriptions per 100 people
173 per 100 people 130 per 100 people +42 per 100 people 2024 World Bank
Fixed broadband subscriptions
subscriptions per 100 people
47.8 per 100 people 39.2 per 100 people +8.6 per 100 people 2024 World Bank

Business and industry

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
Industry share of GDP
% of GDP
34.3% 19.6% +14.8 percentage points 2025 World Bank
New businesses registered
new limited liability companies
128,455 companies 108,020 companies +18.9% 2023 World Bank
Medium and high-tech manufacturing
% of manufacturing value added
61.2% 38.9% +22.3 percentage points 2024 World Bank
Manufacturing share of GDP
% of GDP
27.4% 10.6% +16.8 percentage points 2025 World Bank

Trade and investment

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
Exports share of GDP
% of GDP
45.8% 36.6% +9.1 percentage points 2025 World Bank
Imports share of GDP
% of GDP
40.6% 32.8% +7.8 percentage points 2025 World Bank
Trade as a share of GDP
% of GDP
86.4% 69.5% +16.9 percentage points 2025 World Bank
Foreign direct investment inflows
% of GDP
0.8% 1.5% −0.7 percentage points 2025 World Bank
Current account balance
% of GDP
6.6% 2.9% +3.6 percentage points 2025 World Bank
High-technology exports
% of manufactured exports
36.3% 9.3% +27.0 percentage points 2024 World Bank

Transport and mobility

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
Road traffic deaths
deaths per 100,000 people
8.6 per 100,000 people 3.9 per 100,000 people +4.7 per 100,000 people 2019 World Bank
Air passengers carried
passengers
76,272,454 passengers 94,101,520 passengers −18.9% 2023 World Bank

Energy and electricity

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
Access to electricity
% of population
100.0% 100.0% same 2024 World Bank
Clean cooking access
% of population
100.0% 97.0% +3.0 percentage points 2024 World Bank
Renewable energy share
% of total final energy consumption
3.6% 19.0% −15.4 percentage points 2021 World Bank
Fossil electricity share
% of total electricity production
58.7% 24.4% +34.3 percentage points 2025 World Bank
Net energy imports
% of energy use
83.2% 78.4% +4.9 percentage points 2024 World Bank

Climate and emissions

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
Temperature change
°C difference from the 1951 to 1980 average
1.90 °Ce (Estimated value) 2.30 °Ce (Estimated value) −0.41 °C 2025 FAOSTAT
Agrifood emissions per person
tonnes of CO2 equivalent per person
1.70 t CO2e per persone (Estimated value) 2.06 t CO2e per persone (Estimated value) −17.5% 2024 FAOSTAT
Total greenhouse gas emissions
million tonnes of CO2 equivalent
668.2 Mt CO2e 285.6 Mt CO2e +133.9% 2024 World Bank
Greenhouse gas emissions per person
tonnes of CO2 equivalent per person
12.9 t CO2e per person 5.8 t CO2e per person +120.8% 2024 World Bank
CO2 emissions per person
tonnes of CO2 per person
11.36 t CO2 per person 4.51 t CO2 per person +152.2% 2024 World Bank
Methane emissions
million tonnes of CO2 equivalent
44.7 Mt CO2e 42.8 Mt CO2e +4.5% 2024 World Bank
Nitrous oxide emissions
million tonnes of CO2 equivalent
13.14 Mt CO2e 18.87 Mt CO2e −30.4% 2024 World Bank

Air quality and ecosystems

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
PM2.5 air pollution
micrograms per cubic metre
19.2 µg/m³ 8.0 µg/m³ +138.9% 2023 WHO
Forest area
% of land area
64.4% 38.2% +26.1 percentage points 2024 World Bank
Protected areas
% of total territorial area
5.9% 22.1% −16.2 percentage points 2025 World Bank
PM2.5 air pollution exposure
micrograms per cubic metre
21.9 µg/m³ 10.1 µg/m³ +117.2% 2023 World Bank
Terrestrial protected areas
% of land area
17.7% 28.1% −10.4 percentage points 2025 World Bank

Water, sanitation and waste

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
Basic drinking water access
% of population
100.0% 99.9% +0.1 percentage points 2024 World Bank
Safely managed drinking water
% of population
99.3% 99.5% −0.2 percentage points 2024 World Bank
Basic sanitation access
% of population
99.7% 99.9% −0.2 percentage points 2024 World Bank
Level of water stress
% of available freshwater resources
85.2% 43.3% +42.0 percentage points 2022 World Bank
Renewable internal freshwater per person
cubic metres per person
1,255 m³ per person 2,327 m³ per person −46.1% 2022 World Bank
Safely managed sanitation
% of population
99.3% 88.3% +11.0 percentage points 2024 World Bank

Agriculture, food and fisheries

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
Cost of a healthy diet
international dollars (PPP) per person per day
Int$7.37 per person per daye (Estimated value) Int$4.33 per person per daye (Estimated value) +70.2% 2025 FAOSTAT
Healthy diet unaffordable
% of the population
5.3%e (Estimated value) 9.3%e (Estimated value) −4.0 percentage points 2025 FAOSTAT
Pesticide use
kg of active ingredients per hectare of cropland
13.03 kg/hae (Estimated value) 3.63 kg/hae (Estimated value) +259.0% 2024 FAOSTAT
Nitrogen fertiliser use
kg of nitrogen (N) per hectare of cropland
135.2 kg/hae (Estimated value) 52.9 kg/hae (Estimated value) +155.5% 2024 FAOSTAT
Agriculture share of GDP
% of GDP
1.5% 2.7% −1.2 percentage points 2025 World Bank
Cereal yield
kilograms per hectare
6,544 kg per hectare 3,786 kg per hectare +72.9% 2024 World Bank
Agricultural land
% of land area
16.0% 49.3% −33.3 percentage points 2024 World Bank
Capture fisheries production
metric tonnes
1,273,391 tonnes 764,462 tonnes +66.6% 2024 World Bank
Prevalence of undernourishment
% of population
2.5% 2.5% same 2024 World Bank
Food production index
index, 2014 to 2016 = 100
101.4 (2014-16 = 100) 108.8 (2014-16 = 100) −6.8% 2024 World Bank
Fertiliser use
kilograms per hectare of arable land
285.6 kg per hectare 136.0 kg per hectare +110.0% 2024 World Bank
Land area
square kilometres
97,600 km² 499,686 km² −80.5% 2024 World Bank

Poverty and social protection

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
Gini index
Gini index, 0 to 100
32.9 (0 to 100) 33.9 (0 to 100) −1.0 points 2021 World Bank
Income share held by the richest 10%
% of total income or consumption
25.0% 24.7% +0.3 percentage points 2021 World Bank
Extreme poverty rate
% of population
0.1% 0.7% −0.6 percentage points 2021 World Bank
Poverty rate at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP)
% of population
0.2% 0.9% −0.7 percentage points 2021 World Bank
Poverty rate at $8.30 a day (2021 PPP)
% of population
0.5% 2.2% −1.7 percentage points 2021 World Bank

Government finance and taxation

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
Tax revenue
% of GDP
13.3% 14.9% −1.6 percentage points 2024 World Bank
Central government expense
% of GDP
28.3% 34.0% −5.7 percentage points 2023 World Bank

Science and innovation

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
R&D spending share of GDP
% of GDP
5.13% 1.50% +3.63 percentage points 2024 Eurostat
Researchers as a share of the labour force
% of labour force (full-time equivalent)
1.15% 0.56% +0.59 percentage points 2011 Eurostat
R&D spending share of GDP
% of GDP
4.94% 1.49% +3.45 percentage points 2023 World Bank
Researchers per million people
researchers per million people
9,472 per million people 3,654 per million people +5,818 per million people 2023 World Bank
Scientific and technical journal articles
articles, fractional count
71,724 articles 60,304 articles +18.9% 2023 World Bank

Crime, justice and public safety

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
Intentional homicides
victims per 100,000 people
0.5 per 100,000 people 0.7 per 100,000 people −0.2 per 100,000 people 2023 World Bank

Culture, society and wellbeing

MeasureSouth KoreaSpainSouth Korea compared with SpainPeriodSource
Women in national parliament
% of seats in the single or lower chamber
20.3% 44.3% −24.0 percentage points 2025 World Bank

The difference column shows South Korea compared with Spain: in percentage points for percentages, in the same unit for rates per population and index values, and in percent for other measures.

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