Korea, Rep. vs Australia
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
South Korea and Australia represent different paths to high-income status. South Korea achieved it through industrial policy, export-driven manufacturing (Samsung, Hyundai, LG), and massive investment in education and R&D. Australia achieved it through natural resource abundance, immigration, and strong institutions. South Korea's GDP per capita has nearly caught Australia's despite having no natural resource wealth. South Korea works the longest hours in the OECD while Australia has one of the better work-life balances.
Korea, Rep. has a GDP of $1.93T compared to Australia's $2.12T, making it 1.1x smaller. Korea, Rep.'s population is 51.7M vs Australia's 27.6M. Across 12 key indicators, both countries are evenly matched in categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Korea, Rep. |  Australia |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $1.93T | $2.12T✓ |
| GDP per Capita | $37,412 | $75,648✓ |
| GDP Growth (%) | 1.9% | 2.0%✓ |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $68,624 | $74,755✓ |
| Population | 51.7M✓ | 27.6M |
| Life Expectancy | 83.6 years✓ | 83.1 years |
| Inflation (%) | 2.5%✓ | 4.0% |
| Unemployment (%) | 2.8%✓ | 4.2% |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 54.4% | 50.6%✓ |
| Fertility Rate | 0.7 | 1.5✓ |
| Gini Index | 32.9✓ | 33.8 |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 11.4✓ | 14.1 |
Summary
Korea, Rep. has a GDP of $1.93T compared to Australia's $2.12T, making the latter economy 1.1x larger. In terms of population, Korea, Rep. has 51.7M people while Australia has 27.6M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Korea, Rep. leads in 6 and Australia leads in 6.
Why sources report different numbers
The IMF, World Bank and United Nations each publish these series on their own release schedule. Where their figures differ, the reason is usually visible in the reference year rather than in the methodology.
| Source | Korea, Rep. | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $1.93T2026 | $2.12T2026 |
| World Bank | $1.87T2025 | $1.80T2025 |
| United Nations | $1.88T2024 | $1.83T2024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Korea, Rep. spans about 3% across 1 year; Australia spans about 18% across 1 year.
| Source | Korea, Rep. | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $37,4122026 | $75,6482026 |
| World Bank | $36,2272025 | $65,1302025 |
| United Nations | $36,2622024 | $68,5282024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Korea, Rep. spans about 3% across 1 year; Australia spans about 16% across 1 year.
Figures are reproduced as published by each source, converted to a common unit, with each publisher's own reference year shown. Differences are described, not adjudicated — no source is presented as more correct than another.
Korea, Rep.Australia