RUB
…
KRW
…
Land Area
Russia
17,098,246 km²
Largest
South Korea
100,210 km²
0.6% of largest
Russia is 170.62× larger than South Korea
Population
Russia
LARGEST
143.51M
PEOPLE
South Korea
36.0% OF LARGEST
51.68M
PEOPLE
Russia has 2.78× the population of South Korea
GDP
Russia
LARGEST
$2.56T
South Korea
73.1% OF LARGEST
$1.87T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Russia
LARGEST
900K
TROOPS
South Korea
61.7% OF LARGEST
555K
TROOPS
Russia has 1.62× the active personnel of South Korea
Air Force
Russia
LARGEST
4.17K
AIRCRAFT
South Korea
37.9% OF LARGEST
1.58K
AIRCRAFT
Russia has 2.64× the aircraft of South Korea
Naval Assets
Russia
South Korea
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Russia
LARGEST
2,332.8
Metric Tonnes
South Korea
4.5% OF LARGEST
104.4
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
South Korea
LARGEST
$420B
Reserves · excl. gold
Russia
98.3% OF LARGEST
$413B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
Russia
MOST
120
billionaires
South Korea
25% OF MOST
30
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
Russia
LARGEST
80
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
Russia
NET EXPORTER
Production
10.8M b/d
Consumption
3.7M b/d
+7.1M 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)
Russia
$476.4B
Exports
$476.4B
Imports
$382.4B
Trade Balance
+$94.0B
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
South Korea
consumption
Russia
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
Russia
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
Russia
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
Russia
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Russia
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Russia
South Korea
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
Russia
192
Gold
164
Silver
184
Bronze
540
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 422
❄ Winter: 118
South Korea
145
Gold
134
Silver
130
Bronze
409
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 320
❄ Winter: 89
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Russia
South Korea
Age Demographics
Median Age
South Korea
44.9
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Russia
39.2
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
South Korea is 5.7 years older (median) than Russia
Youth Population
Russia has the highest youth population at 36% (under 30)
Elderly Population
South Korea has the highest elderly population at 25.3% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Russia
|
South Korea
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
119
|
193
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
24.4M
|
11.0M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
32
|
0
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
0
|
1
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
32
|
17
|
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.
|
Russia
|
South Korea
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $8 | $8 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $35 | $40 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $600 | $800 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $400 | $500 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $85 | $140 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $12 | $25 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $25 | $45 |
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
Russia
Physicians per 1,000
Russia
South Korea
Hospital beds per 1,000
South Korea
Russia
Diabetes prevalence
South Korea
Russia
Obesity prevalence
Russia
South Korea
Suicide rate per 100k
South Korea
Russia
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for Russia vs South Korea — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | Russia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 143513328 | 51684564 |
| Area (sq km) | 17098246 | 100210 |
| Capital | Moscow | Seoul |
| Official Language | Russian | Korean |
| Currency | Russian Ruble (RUB) | South Korean Won (KRW) |
| Government Type | Federal semi-presidential republic | Unitary presidential constitutional republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | Russia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 900,000 | 555,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 2,000,000 | 3,100,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 3,350,000 | 3,655,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $154,000,000,000 | $46,700,000,000 |
| Tanks | 12,420 | 2,321 |
| Armored Vehicles | 30,122 | 3,100 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 6,574 | 1,836 |
| Towed Artillery | 7,571 | 1,700 |
| Rocket Projectors | 3,391 | 600 |
Economy
| Metric | Russia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $2,561,310,169,359 | $1,872,374,961,553 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $17,847 | $36,227 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 2.1% | 2.7% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 33.0 | 32.9 |
| Currency | Russian Ruble (RUB) | South Korean Won (KRW) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Russia is 170.6 times larger in area than South Korea.
That's a massive difference!
Russia has 2.8 times more people than South Korea.
South Korea has the highest GDP per capita at $36,227 among the selected countries.
Russia has the largest economy with a GDP of
$2.56 trillion.
Russia has the largest active military personnel with 900,000 troops.
Russia has the largest air force with 4,173 aircraft.
Russia has the largest navy with 605 vessels.
Russia Fact: Russia spans 11 time zones, more than any other country in the world.
Russia vs South Korea: Key Comparisons
Economy: Russia's GDP of $2.6T is 1.4x larger than South Korea's $1.9T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Russia's population of 144M is 2.8x larger than South Korea's 52M.
Area: Russia covers 17,098,246 km², making it 170.6x larger than South Korea.
Military: Russia fields 900Thousand active troops vs South Korea's 560Thousand.
Trade: Russia runs a trade surplus of $94B while South Korea runs a trade surplus of $76B.
Life Expectancy: South Korea leads with a life expectancy of 84 years vs Russia's 73.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology