Land Area
Germany
357,022 km²
Largest
South Korea
100,210 km²
28.1% of largest
Germany is 3.56× larger than South Korea
Population
Germany
LARGEST
83.2M
PEOPLE
South Korea
61.6% OF LARGEST
51.27M
PEOPLE
Germany has 1.62× the population of South Korea
GDP
Germany
LARGEST
$4.26T
South Korea
42.5% OF LARGEST
$1.81T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
South Korea
LARGEST
555K
TROOPS
Germany
33.1% OF LARGEST
183.5K
TROOPS
South Korea has 3.02× the active personnel of Germany
Air Force
South Korea
LARGEST
1.58K
AIRCRAFT
Germany
39.0% OF LARGEST
617
AIRCRAFT
South Korea has 2.56× the aircraft of Germany
Naval Assets
South Korea
Germany
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Germany
LARGEST
3,351.6
Metric Tonnes
South Korea
3.1% OF LARGEST
104.4
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
South Korea
LARGEST
$420B
Reserves · excl. gold
Germany
23.1% OF LARGEST
$97B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
Germany
MOST
132
billionaires
South Korea
23% OF MOST
30
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
Germany
LARGEST
0.1
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
Germany
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.1M b/d
Consumption
2.3M b/d
−2.3M b/d net
South Korea
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
2.7M b/d
−2.7M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
Germany
$1,941.4B
Exports
$1,941.4B
Imports
$1,764.4B
Trade Balance
+$177.0B
Trade Surplus
South Korea
$831.9B
Exports
$831.9B
Imports
$755.5B
Trade Balance
+$76.4B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Germany
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
Germany
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
Germany
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
Germany
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Germany
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
South Korea
Germany
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
Germany
335
Gold
331
Silver
331
Bronze
997
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 704
❄ Winter: 293
South Korea
145
Gold
134
Silver
130
Bronze
409
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 320
❄ Winter: 89
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Germany
South Korea
Age Demographics
Median Age
Germany
47.8
YEARS
10
30
50
70
South Korea
44.9
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Germany is 2.9 years older (median) than South Korea
Youth Population
Germany has the highest youth population at 30% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Germany has the highest elderly population at 31% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Germany
|
South Korea
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
189
|
193
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
39.6M
|
11.0M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
115
|
2
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
10
|
2
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
Germany
|
South Korea
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $12 | $8 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $55 | $40 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $1,100 | $800 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $800 | $500 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $180 | $140 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $35 | $25 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $75 | $45 |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | Germany | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 83200000 | 51269185 |
| Area (sq km) | 357022 | 100210 |
| Capital | Berlin | Seoul |
| Official Language | German | Korean |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | South Korean Won (KRW) |
| Government Type | Federal parliamentary republic | Unitary presidential constitutional republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | Germany | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 183,500 | 555,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 30,000 | 3,100,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 214,000 | 3,655,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $56,000,000,000 | $46,700,000,000 |
| Tanks | 266 | 2,321 |
| Armored Vehicles | 5,318 | 3,100 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 121 | 1,836 |
| Towed Artillery | 0 | 1,700 |
| Rocket Projectors | 38 | 600 |
Economy
| Metric | Germany | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $4,256,500,000,000 | $1,810,000,000,000 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $51,160 | $35,340 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 3.0% | 3.8% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 31.9 | 31.4 |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | South Korean Won (KRW) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| Germany Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 0.0006 Weaker |
| South Korea Currency | 1753.6639 Stronger | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | EUR | KRW |
| 1 USD equals | 0.8802 EUR Updated: 2026-06-27 | 1543.5750 KRW Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Germany is 3.6 times larger in area than South Korea.
Germany has 1.6 times more people than South Korea.
Germany has the highest GDP per capita at $51,160 among the selected countries.
Germany has the largest economy with a GDP of
$4.26 trillion.
South Korea has the largest active military personnel with 555,000 troops.
South Korea has the largest air force with 1,581 aircraft.
South Korea has the largest navy with 234 vessels.
Germany vs South Korea: Key Comparisons
Economy: Germany's GDP of $4.3T is 2.4x larger than South Korea's $1.8T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Germany's population of 83M is 1.6x larger than South Korea's 51M.
Area: Germany covers 357,022 km², making it 3.6x larger than South Korea.
Military: South Korea fields 560Thousand active troops vs Germany's 180Thousand.
Trade: Germany runs a trade surplus of $177B while South Korea runs a trade surplus of $76B.
Life Expectancy: South Korea leads with a life expectancy of 83 years vs Germany's 81.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology