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 $31.82T compared to Korea, Rep.'s $1.94T, making it 16.4x larger. United States's population is 340.1M vs Korea, Rep.'s 51.8M. 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) | $31.82T✓ | $1.94T |
| GDP per Capita | $92,883✓ | $37,523 |
| GDP Growth (%) | 2.1%✓ | 1.8% |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $92,883✓ | $67,554 |
| Population | 340.1M✓ | 51.8M |
| Life Expectancy | 78.4 years | 83.4 years✓ |
| Inflation (%) | 2.4% | 1.8%✓ |
| Unemployment (%) | 4.1% | 3.0%✓ |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 128.7% | 56.7%✓ |
| 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 $31.82T compared to Korea, Rep.'s $1.94T, making the former economy 16.4x larger. In terms of population, United States has 340.1M people while Korea, Rep. has 51.8M. Across the 12 indicators compared, United States leads in 6 and Korea, Rep. leads in 6.
United StatesKorea, Rep.