Updated
Overview
South Korea has 8.5 times the population of Singapore: 51.68 million people against 6.11 million (2025).
South Korea's economy is 3.1 times the size of Singapore's, at $1.87T versus $603.87B.
Per person, Singapore is the wealthier of the two: $98,814 against $36,227 in GDP per capita.
Population
GDP (nominal)
GDP per capita
The full table
| Indicator | South Korea | Singapore | Years | Factbook, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | Higher: $1.87T | $603.87B | 2025 | $1.71T / $547.39B |
| GDP per capita | $36,227 | Higher: $98,814 | 2025 | — / — |
| GDP growth | 1.0% | Higher: 5.0% | 2025 | — / — |
| Inflation | 2.1% | Lower: 0.9% | 2025 | 2.3% / 2.4% |
| Unemployment | Lower: 2.7% | 2.8% | 2025 | — / — |
| Price level (US=100) | 57 | 60 | 2025 | — / — |
| Avg monthly earnings | $3,168 | Higher: $3,483 | 2022 / 2021 | — / — |
| Minimum wage | $1,511 | — | 2024 | — / — |
| Big Mac price | $3.84 | $5.77 | — | — / — |
| People | ||||
| Population | 51.68 million | 6.11 million | 2025 | 51.49 million / 6.08 million |
| Population growth | -0.1% | 1.2% | 2025 | — / — |
| Median age | 45.6 yrs | 36.2 yrs | 2025 | — / — |
| Fertility rate | 0.75 | 0.96 | 2025 | — / — |
| Life expectancy | Higher: 83.6 yrs | 83.3 yrs | 2024 | — / — |
| Urban population | 81% | 100% | 2025 | — / — |
| Internet users | Higher: 98% | 94% | 2024 | — / — |
| Geography | ||||
| Area | 100,210 km² | 719 km² | — | — / — |
| Population density | 515.8/km² | 8499.5/km² | 2025 | — / — |
| Environment | ||||
| CO2 emissions | 584 Mt | Lower: 54 Mt | 2024 | — / — |
| CO2 per capita | 11.3 t | Lower: 9.2 t | 2024 | — / — |
| Military | ||||
| Military spending | $47.57B | $15.06B | 2024 | — / — |
| Military spending (% GDP) | 2.6% | 2.8% | 2024 | — / — |
| Armed forces personnel | 569,000 | 59,000 | 2020 | — / — |
Sources by row: World Bank WDI, IMF WEO, UN WPP 2024, ILOSTAT, The Economist. Emphasis marks the stronger figure where one direction is meaningfully better.
Reading the numbers
Economy
Singapore is growing much faster: 5.0% annual GDP growth versus 1.0%.
Inflation is comparable in both: 2.1% in South Korea and 0.9% in Singapore.
Average monthly earnings favour Singapore: $3,483 against $3,168 (ILOSTAT, latest available years).
People and society
Singapore is the far younger society: median age 36.2 versus 45.6 years.
Singapore is considerably more urbanized: 100% of people live in cities, against 81%.
Geography
By land area, South Korea is 139 times the size of Singapore: 100,210 km² versus 719 km².
Both sit in the same broad region but do not share a border.
Singapore is far more densely settled: 8500 people per km² against 516.
Military
South Korea spends 3.2 times as much on defence as Singapore: $47.57B versus $15.06B (World Bank/SIPRI data).
South Korea fields the larger armed forces: 569,000 personnel against 59,000 (note: personnel data lags; observation years shown in the table).
Frequently asked
- Is South Korea bigger than Singapore?
- South Korea is larger by land area. South Korea covers 100,210 km² while Singapore covers 719 km², so South Korea is 139 times the size of the other.
- Which has more people, South Korea or Singapore?
- South Korea has the larger population: 51.68 million versus 6.11 million (World Bank, 2025).
- Is South Korea richer than Singapore?
- Measured by GDP per capita, Singapore is richer: $98,814 against $36,227. Total GDP tells a different story: $1.87T for South Korea versus $603.87B for Singapore.
- Who spends more on their military, South Korea or Singapore?
- South Korea spends more: $47.57B versus $15.06B per year (World Bank, SIPRI-derived data; observation years vary).