KRW
…
EUR
…
Land Area
Spain
505,992 km²
Largest
South Korea
100,210 km²
19.8% of largest
Spain is 5.05× larger than South Korea
Population
South Korea
LARGEST
51.68M
PEOPLE
Spain
95.5% OF LARGEST
49.36M
PEOPLE
South Korea has 1.05× the population of Spain
GDP
Spain
LARGEST
$1.91T
South Korea
98.2% OF LARGEST
$1.87T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
South Korea
LARGEST
555K
TROOPS
Spain
21.7% OF LARGEST
120.35K
TROOPS
South Korea has 4.61× the active personnel of Spain
Air Force
South Korea
LARGEST
1.58K
AIRCRAFT
Spain
33.0% OF LARGEST
522
AIRCRAFT
South Korea has 3.03× the aircraft of Spain
Naval Assets
South Korea
Spain
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Spain
LARGEST
281.6
Metric Tonnes
South Korea
37.1% OF LARGEST
104.4
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
South Korea
LARGEST
$420B
Reserves · excl. gold
Spain
20.0% OF LARGEST
$84B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
South Korea
MOST
30
billionaires
Spain
97% OF MOST
29
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
Spain
LARGEST
0.2
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
South Korea
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
2.7M b/d
−2.7M b/d net
Spain
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
1.3M b/d
−1.3M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
South Korea
$831.9B
Exports
$831.9B
Imports
$755.5B
Trade Balance
+$76.4B
Trade Surplus
Spain
$639.5B
Exports
$639.5B
Imports
$567.7B
Trade Balance
+$71.8B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Spain
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
South Korea
consumption
Spain
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
Spain
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
Spain
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Spain
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Spain
South Korea
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
South Korea
145
Gold
134
Silver
130
Bronze
409
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 320
❄ Winter: 89
Spain
55
Gold
77
Silver
63
Bronze
195
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 187
❄ Winter: 8
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
South Korea
Spain
Age Demographics
Median Age
South Korea
44.9
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Spain
44.9
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
South Korea is 0.0 years older (median) than South Korea
Youth Population
South Korea has the highest youth population at 30.0% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Spain has the highest elderly population at 29.5% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
South Korea
|
Spain
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
193
|
190
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
11.0M
|
85.2M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
0
|
8
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
1
|
16
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
17
|
50
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation, UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
South Korea
|
Spain
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
N/A |
| Rent Index |
|
N/A |
| Groceries Index |
|
N/A |
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
N/A |
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
N/A |
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $8 | N/A |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $40 | N/A |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $800 | N/A |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $500 | N/A |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $140 | N/A |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $25 | N/A |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $45 | N/A |
Health
Healthcare spending, capacity and outcomes. Sources: World Bank / WHO — the year tag shows each figure’s vintage; “—” means the country doesn’t report that metric.
Health spending / person
South Korea
Spain
Physicians per 1,000
Spain
South Korea
Hospital beds per 1,000
South Korea
Spain
Diabetes prevalence
Spain
South Korea
Obesity prevalence
Spain
South Korea
Suicide rate per 100k
South Korea
Spain
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for South Korea vs Spain — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | South Korea | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 51684564 | 49355143 |
| Area (sq km) | 100210 | 505992 |
| Capital | Seoul | Madrid |
| Official Language | Korean | Spanish |
| Currency | South Korean Won (KRW) | Euro (EUR) |
| Government Type | Unitary presidential constitutional republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
Military Strength
| Metric | South Korea | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 555,000 | 120,350 |
| Reserve Personnel | 3,100,000 | 15,150 |
| Total Military Personnel | 3,655,000 | 135,500 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $46,700,000,000 | $14,900,000,000 |
| Tanks | 2,321 | 327 |
| Armored Vehicles | 3,100 | 2,040 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 1,836 | 96 |
| Towed Artillery | 1,700 | 56 |
| Rocket Projectors | 600 | 0 |
Economy
| Metric | South Korea | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $1,872,374,961,553 | $1,906,453,309,986 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $36,227 | $38,627 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 2.7% | 10.4% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 32.9 | 33.4 |
| Currency | South Korean Won (KRW) | Euro (EUR) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Spain is 5.0 times larger in area than South Korea.
Spain has the highest GDP per capita at $38,627 among the selected countries.
Spain has the largest economy with a GDP of
$1.91 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.
South Korea vs Spain: Key Comparisons
Economy: Spain's GDP of $1.9T is 1.0x larger than South Korea's $1.9T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: South Korea's population of 52M is 1.0x larger than Spain's 49M.
Area: Spain covers 505,992 km², making it 5.0x larger than South Korea.
Military: South Korea fields 560Thousand active troops vs Spain's 120Thousand.
Trade: South Korea runs a trade surplus of $76B while Spain runs a trade surplus of $72B.
Life Expectancy: Spain leads with a life expectancy of 84 years vs South Korea's 84.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology