PKR
…
KRW
…
Land Area
Pakistan
881,913 km²
Largest
South Korea
100,210 km²
11.4% of largest
Pakistan is 8.80× larger than South Korea
Population
Pakistan
LARGEST
255.22M
PEOPLE
South Korea
20.3% OF LARGEST
51.68M
PEOPLE
Pakistan has 4.94× the population of South Korea
GDP
South Korea
LARGEST
$1.87T
Pakistan
21.8% OF LARGEST
$407.31B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Pakistan
LARGEST
654K
TROOPS
South Korea
84.9% OF LARGEST
555K
TROOPS
Pakistan has 1.18× the active personnel of South Korea
Air Force
South Korea
LARGEST
1.58K
AIRCRAFT
Pakistan
87.7% OF LARGEST
1.39K
AIRCRAFT
South Korea has 1.14× the aircraft of Pakistan
Naval Assets
South Korea
Pakistan
Wealth
Gold Reserves
South Korea
LARGEST
104.4
Metric Tonnes
Pakistan
62.0% OF LARGEST
64.7
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
South Korea
LARGEST
$420B
Reserves · excl. gold
Pakistan
3.1% OF LARGEST
$13B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
South Korea
MOST
30
billionaires
Pakistan
0% OF MOST
0
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
Pakistan
LARGEST
0.4
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
Pakistan
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.1M b/d
Consumption
0.6M b/d
−0.5M 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)
Pakistan
$38.6B
Exports
$38.6B
Imports
$63.9B
Trade Balance
$-25.3B
Trade Deficit
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
Pakistan
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
Pakistan
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
South Korea
consumption
Pakistan
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
South Korea
consumption
Pakistan
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
South Korea
consumption
Pakistan
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
South Korea
Pakistan
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
Pakistan
4
Gold
3
Silver
4
Bronze
11
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 11
❄ Winter: 0
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Pakistan
South Korea
Age Demographics
Median Age
South Korea
44.9
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Pakistan
23.8
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
South Korea is 21.1 years older (median) than Pakistan
Youth Population
Pakistan has the highest youth population at 63% (under 30)
Elderly Population
South Korea has the highest elderly population at 25.3% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Pakistan
|
South Korea
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
33
|
193
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
1.9M
|
11.0M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
2
|
0
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
0
|
1
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
6
|
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.
|
Pakistan
|
South Korea
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $2 | $8 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $12 | $40 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $200 | $800 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $120 | $500 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $45 | $140 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $20 | $25 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $15 | $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
Pakistan
Physicians per 1,000
South Korea
Pakistan
Hospital beds per 1,000
South Korea
Pakistan
Diabetes prevalence
Pakistan
South Korea
Obesity prevalence
Pakistan
South Korea
Suicide rate per 100k
South Korea
Pakistan
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for Pakistan vs South Korea — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | Pakistan | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 255219554 | 51684564 |
| Area (sq km) | 881913 | 100210 |
| Capital | Islamabad | Seoul |
| Official Language | Urdu and English (official), Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi | Korean |
| Currency | Pakistani Rupee (PKR) | South Korean Won (KRW) |
| Government Type | Federal parliamentary constitutional republic | Unitary presidential constitutional republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | Pakistan | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 654,000 | 555,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 550,000 | 3,100,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 1,204,000 | 3,655,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $12,300,000,000 | $46,700,000,000 |
| Tanks | 2,824 | 2,321 |
| Armored Vehicles | 4,686 | 3,100 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 570 | 1,836 |
| Towed Artillery | 1,467 | 1,700 |
| Rocket Projectors | 366 | 600 |
Economy
| Metric | Pakistan | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $407,307,214,476 | $1,872,374,961,553 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $1,596 | $36,227 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 5.4% | 2.7% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 33.5 | 32.9 |
| Currency | Pakistani Rupee (PKR) | South Korean Won (KRW) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Pakistan is 8.8 times larger in area than South Korea.
Pakistan has 4.9 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.
Pakistan has the largest active military personnel with 654,000 troops.
South Korea has the largest air force with 1,581 aircraft.
South Korea has the largest navy with 234 vessels.
Pakistan vs South Korea: Key Comparisons
Economy: South Korea's GDP of $1.9T is 4.6x larger than Pakistan's $407B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Pakistan's population of 255M is 4.9x larger than South Korea's 52M.
Area: Pakistan covers 881,913 km², making it 8.8x larger than South Korea.
Military: Pakistan fields 650Thousand active troops vs South Korea's 560Thousand.
Trade: Pakistan has a trade deficit of $25B while South Korea runs a trade surplus of $76B.
Life Expectancy: South Korea leads with a life expectancy of 84 years vs Pakistan's 68.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology