Korea, Rep. vs United Kingdom
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
South Korea and the United Kingdom have remarkably similar-sized economies, though they achieve their GDP through very different means. South Korea's economy is manufacturing-heavy (semiconductors, automotive, shipbuilding, displays), while the UK is services-dominated (financial services, professional services, creative industries). South Korea's GDP per capita has nearly reached the UK's level — a remarkable achievement for a country that was poorer than many African nations in 1960. Both countries have strong cultural export industries: Korean Wave (Hallyu) and British creative industries.
Korea, Rep. has a GDP of $1.94T compared to United Kingdom's $4.23T, making it 2.2x smaller. Korea, Rep.'s population is 51.8M vs United Kingdom's 69.2M. 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. |  United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $1.94T | $4.23T✓ |
| GDP per Capita | $37,523 | $60,011✓ |
| GDP Growth (%) | 1.8%✓ | 1.3% |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $67,554✓ | $65,215 |
| Population | 51.8M | 69.2M✓ |
| Life Expectancy | 83.4 years✓ | 81.2 years |
| Inflation (%) | 1.8%✓ | 2.5% |
| Unemployment (%) | 3.0%✓ | 4.7% |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 56.7%✓ | 104.8% |
| Fertility Rate | 0.7 | 1.6✓ |
| Gini Index | 32.9 | 32.4✓ |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 11.4 | 4.2✓ |
Summary
Korea, Rep. has a GDP of $1.94T compared to United Kingdom's $4.23T, making the latter economy 2.2x larger. In terms of population, Korea, Rep. has 51.8M people while United Kingdom has 69.2M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Korea, Rep. leads in 6 and United Kingdom leads in 6.
Korea, Rep.United Kingdom