United States vs Korea, Rep.
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
The United States and South Korea are close economic and military allies. South Korea's transformation from one of the world's poorest countries in 1960 to a high-income OECD member is one of the most remarkable development stories in history. South Korea's economy is driven by semiconductor manufacturing (Samsung, SK Hynix), automotive (Hyundai, Kia), and shipbuilding — it is the world's leading memory chip producer. The US economy is roughly 14 times larger in nominal terms, but South Korea punches well above its weight in manufacturing, R&D spending (4.8% of GDP, among the world's highest), and education.
United States has a GDP of $32.38T compared to Korea, Rep.'s $1.93T, making it 16.8x larger. United States's population is 341.8M vs Korea, Rep.'s 51.7M. 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 |  United States |  Korea, Rep. |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $32.38T✓ | $1.93T |
| GDP per Capita | $94,430✓ | $37,412 |
| GDP Growth (%) | 2.3%✓ | 1.9% |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $94,430✓ | $68,624 |
| Population | 341.8M✓ | 51.7M |
| Life Expectancy | 78.9 years | 83.6 years✓ |
| Inflation (%) | 3.2% | 2.5%✓ |
| Unemployment (%) | 4.4% | 2.8%✓ |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 125.8% | 54.4%✓ |
| Fertility Rate | 1.6✓ | 0.7 |
| Gini Index | 41.8 | 32.9✓ |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 13.6 | 11.4✓ |
Summary
United States has a GDP of $32.38T compared to Korea, Rep.'s $1.93T, making the former economy 16.8x larger. In terms of population, United States has 341.8M people while Korea, Rep. has 51.7M. Across the 12 indicators compared, United States leads in 6 and Korea, Rep. 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 | United States | Korea, Rep. |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $32.38T2026 | $1.93T2026 |
| World Bank | $30.77T2025 | $1.87T2025 |
| United Nations | $29.30T2024 | $1.88T2024 |
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. United States spans about 11% across 2 years; Korea, Rep. spans about 3% across 1 year.
| Source | United States | Korea, Rep. |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $94,4302026 | $37,4122026 |
| World Bank | $90,0272025 | $36,2272025 |
| United Nations | $84,8172024 | $36,2622024 |
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. United States spans about 11% across 2 years; Korea, Rep. spans about 3% 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.
United StatesKorea, Rep.