MXN
…
KRW
…
Land Area
Mexico
1,964,375 km²
Largest
South Korea
100,210 km²
5.1% of largest
Mexico is 19.60× larger than South Korea
Population
Mexico
LARGEST
131.95M
PEOPLE
South Korea
39.2% OF LARGEST
51.68M
PEOPLE
Mexico has 2.55× the population of South Korea
GDP
South Korea
LARGEST
$1.87T
Mexico
97.9% OF LARGEST
$1.83T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
South Korea
LARGEST
555K
TROOPS
Mexico
49.9% OF LARGEST
277.15K
TROOPS
South Korea has 2.00× the active personnel of Mexico
Air Force
South Korea
LARGEST
1.58K
AIRCRAFT
Mexico
31.2% OF LARGEST
493
AIRCRAFT
South Korea has 3.21× the aircraft of Mexico
Naval Assets
South Korea
Mexico
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Mexico
LARGEST
120.3
Metric Tonnes
South Korea
86.8% OF LARGEST
104.4
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
South Korea
LARGEST
$420B
Reserves · excl. gold
Mexico
52.9% OF LARGEST
$222B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
South Korea
MOST
30
billionaires
Mexico
73% OF MOST
22
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
Mexico
LARGEST
5.8
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
Mexico
NET EXPORTER
Production
1.9M b/d
Consumption
1.9M b/d
+0.0M 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)
Mexico
$681.4B
Exports
$681.4B
Imports
$644.0B
Trade Balance
+$37.4B
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
Mexico
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
South Korea
consumption
Mexico
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
Mexico
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
South Korea
consumption
Mexico
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
South Korea
consumption
Mexico
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
South Korea
Mexico
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
Mexico
13
Gold
27
Silver
37
Bronze
77
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 77
❄ Winter: 0
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Mexico
South Korea
Age Demographics
Median Age
South Korea
44.9
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Mexico
29.2
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
South Korea is 15.7 years older (median) than Mexico
Youth Population
Mexico has the highest youth population at 51.5% (under 30)
Elderly Population
South Korea has the highest elderly population at 25.3% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Mexico
|
South Korea
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
159
|
193
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
42.2M
|
11.0M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
3
|
0
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
0
|
1
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
35
|
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.
|
Mexico
|
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) | $500 | $800 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $350 | $500 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $80 | $140 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $25 | $25 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $20 | $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
Mexico
Physicians per 1,000
South Korea
Mexico
Hospital beds per 1,000
South Korea
Mexico
Diabetes prevalence
Mexico
South Korea
Obesity prevalence
Mexico
South Korea
Suicide rate per 100k
South Korea
Mexico
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for Mexico vs South Korea — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | Mexico | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 131946900 | 51684564 |
| Area (sq km) | 1964375 | 100210 |
| Capital | Mexico City | Seoul |
| Official Language | Spanish | Korean |
| Currency | Mexican Peso (MXN) | South Korean Won (KRW) |
| Government Type | Federal presidential constitutional republic | Unitary presidential constitutional republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | Mexico | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 277,150 | 555,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 81,500 | 3,100,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 358,650 | 3,655,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $7,000,000,000 | $46,700,000,000 |
| Tanks | 0 | 2,321 |
| Armored Vehicles | 695 | 3,100 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 0 | 1,836 |
| Towed Artillery | 375 | 1,700 |
| Rocket Projectors | 0 | 600 |
Economy
| Metric | Mexico | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $1,832,641,364,776 | $1,872,374,961,553 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $13,889 | $36,227 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 2.7% | 2.7% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 42.6 | 32.9 |
| Currency | Mexican Peso (MXN) | South Korean Won (KRW) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Mexico is 19.6 times larger in area than South Korea.
That's a massive difference!
Mexico has 2.6 times more people than South Korea.
South Korea has the highest GDP per capita at $36,227 among the selected countries.
South Korea has the largest economy with a GDP of
$1.87 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.
Mexico vs South Korea: Key Comparisons
Economy: South Korea's GDP of $1.9T is 1.0x larger than Mexico's $1.8T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Mexico's population of 132M is 2.6x larger than South Korea's 52M.
Area: Mexico covers 1,964,375 km², making it 19.6x larger than South Korea.
Military: South Korea fields 560Thousand active troops vs Mexico's 280Thousand.
Trade: Mexico runs a trade surplus of $37B while South Korea runs a trade surplus of $76B.
Life Expectancy: South Korea leads with a life expectancy of 84 years vs Mexico's 75.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology