South Korea vs Switzerland

Every indicator for South Korea and Switzerland side by side, with the percentage gap between them. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.

Indicator comparison
IndicatorSouth KoreaSwitzerlandDifference
Population (2025) (people)51,684,5649,092,436+468.4%
GDP (nominal) (billion $)1,8721,044+79.3%
GDP per capita ($)36,227114,769−68.4%
Life expectancy (years)83.684.4
Area (km²)100,45041,291+143.3%
Population density (people/km²)515220+133.7%
Median age (years)45.543.0
Internet usage (%)97.997.3
Unemployment rate (%)2.74.9
Inflation (%)2.10.2
Urban population (%)81.285.7
Military expenditure (2024) (million $)47,5716,722+607.7%
Military expenditure as a share of GDP (%)2.560.72+255.6%
Military expenditure as a share of government spending (%)11.322.27+398.7%
Military expenditure per capita ($)920739+24.5%
Armed forces personnel (2020) (people)569,00020,000+2,745.0%
Armed forces per 1,000 people (people)11.02.2+400.5%
Armed forces as a share of the labor force (%)2.010.40+402.5%

The difference column shows the percentage gap of South Korea relative to Switzerland; a positive value favors South Korea. Interpret it in context — for unemployment, a lower value is better.

Key differences

  • On population (2025), South Korea is 468.4% higher than Switzerland.
  • On gdp (nominal), South Korea is 79.3% higher than Switzerland.
  • On gdp per capita, South Korea is 68.4% lower than Switzerland.
South Korea and Switzerland — core indicators
020 mn40 mn60 mnPopulation (2025)GDP (nominal)GDP per capitaAreaPopulation (2025) — South Korea: 51.684.564GDP (nominal) — South Korea: 1.872GDP per capita — South Korea: 36.227Area — South Korea: 100.450Population (2025) — Switzerland: 9.092.436GDP (nominal) — Switzerland: 1.044GDP per capita — Switzerland: 114.769Area — Switzerland: 41.291
South KoreaSwitzerland

The indicators use different scales, so the chart is a rough visual comparison only; use the table for exact figures.

Other comparisons involving South Korea or Switzerland.

Data sourcesUN World Population Prospects, IMF, World Bank, SIPRI