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South Korea's economy ranking: GDP & GDP per capita, debt

Updated on by Georank team

South Korea ranked 12/197 by economy size with a GDP of $1.88T and 31/197 by GDP per capita at $36,239. South Korea has $984B in government debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 55.7%.

In 2026, South Korea made up 1.69% of the world's economy, compared to 0.29% in 1960.

The chart below shows GDP in nominal terms, GDP adjusted for inflation (in constant dollars), and a bar chart of year-over-year inflation-adjusted growth.

GDP, current $
GDP, constant 2015 $
GDP growth
Year GDP GDP growth
Current $ Constant $
1960 $3,973,069,307 $25,956,065,666 -
1961 $2,427,244,761 $27,752,325,951 -38.9%
1962 $2,826,923,077 $28,840,704,942 16.5%
1963 $4,007,692,308 $31,439,197,235 41.8%
1964 $3,476,789,682 $34,402,880,327 -13.2%
1965 $3,141,131,708 $36,918,983,033 -9.65%
1966 $3,957,064,541 $41,352,211,966 26%
1967 $4,895,076,718 $45,136,528,802 23.7%
1968 $6,167,109,472 $51,104,880,669 26%
1969 $7,743,940,189 $58,561,431,045 25.6%
1970 $9,085,001,794 $64,515,396,101 17.3%
1971 $10,005,257,131 $71,387,189,520 10.1%
1972 $10,990,490,570 $76,624,741,568 9.85%
1973 $14,067,523,813 $88,099,059,884 28%
1974 $19,860,929,977 $96,599,657,797 41.2%
1975 $22,126,033,058 $104,261,471,164 11.4%
1976 $30,371,074,380 $118,089,873,273 37.3%
1977 $39,064,462,810 $132,706,204,223 28.6%
1978 $52,824,793,388 $147,396,058,470 35.2%
1979 $68,083,884,298 $160,273,927,313 28.9%
1980 $66,547,970,351 $157,830,929,681 -2.26%
1981 $74,287,368,087 $169,516,449,730 11.6%
1982 $79,921,300,447 $183,871,559,685 7.58%
1983 $89,621,208,322 $208,633,185,451 12.1%
1984 $99,749,645,089 $230,824,674,325 11.3%
1985 $103,764,281,281 $249,149,373,131 4.02%
1986 $119,965,960,795 $277,808,988,270 15.6%
1987 $152,240,393,646 $313,624,703,636 26.9%
1988 $205,477,530,605 $351,677,400,844 35%
1989 $254,236,243,100 $376,875,147,733 23.7%
1990 $292,064,221,389 $414,656,502,991 14.9%
1991 $340,851,946,804 $459,750,289,581 16.7%
1992 $366,921,291,825 $488,951,752,176 7.65%
1993 $405,705,302,846 $523,152,547,993 10.6%
1994 $479,181,794,217 $572,181,545,648 18.1%
1995 $586,286,469,401 $627,888,532,992 22.4%
1996 $631,196,863,758 $678,059,525,602 7.66%
1997 $589,202,526,424 $720,656,531,307 -6.65%
1998 $397,297,216,492 $685,063,811,514 -32.6%
1999 $515,697,079,289 $764,649,475,914 29.8%
2000 $597,487,173,479 $835,011,437,852 15.9%
2001 $567,564,806,235 $874,473,540,684 -5.01%
2002 $650,014,391,470 $942,192,762,521 14.5%
2003 $728,516,494,684 $971,162,614,186 12.1%
2004 $823,251,107,639 $1,021,504,157,423 13%
2005 $971,740,329,984 $1,066,023,726,231 18%
2006 $1,095,175,538,508 $1,121,936,729,365 12.7%
2007 $1,220,911,904,593 $1,187,479,862,375 11.5%
2008 $1,091,580,692,542 $1,223,156,560,996 -10.6%
2009 $983,065,242,417 $1,233,184,753,861 -9.94%
2010 $1,192,830,015,738 $1,319,281,537,670 21.3%
2011 $1,307,103,477,219 $1,367,937,063,745 9.58%
2012 $1,335,343,586,438 $1,402,787,524,458 2.16%
2013 $1,434,669,686,502 $1,448,958,816,286 7.44%
2014 $1,556,252,422,020 $1,495,538,208,413 8.47%
2015 $1,539,212,301,136 $1,539,212,301,136 -1.09%
2016 $1,579,150,518,945 $1,588,028,842,393 2.59%
2017 $1,710,196,756,713 $1,642,548,917,820 8.3%
2018 $1,824,251,454,307 $1,694,718,171,579 6.67%
2019 $1,751,045,752,055 $1,733,930,596,323 -4.01%
2020 $1,744,070,276,373 $1,721,788,880,531 -0.4%
2021 $1,942,313,560,966 $1,801,214,449,835 11.4%
2022 $1,799,363,116,867 $1,850,343,736,946 -7.36%
2023 $1,844,800,934,392 $1,879,634,949,822 2.53%
2024 $1,875,388,209,407 $1,917,295,522,782 1.66%

Economic Statistics of South Korea

South Korea Rank
Gross domestic product
$1.88T
2024
12/197
GDP growth
1.66%
2023-2024
165/196
GDP per capita
$36,239
2024
31/197
GDP per capita, PPP
$58,895
2024
33/197
Government debt
$984B
2024
13/185
Debt-to-GDP ratio
55.7%
2026
93/185
Government debt per person
$19,021
2024
32/185
Average annual personal income after taxes
$23,981
2026
34/197
Listed domestic companies
2,599
2024
6/103
Market capitalization of domestic companies
$1.56T
2024
12/100
Number of millionaires
1,295,674
2024
10/34
Millionaire frequency
1 in 34
2024
15/34
Number of billionaires
30
2025
21/78
Billionaire frequency
1 in 1,465,945
2025
39/78
Income share by richest 10%
24.6%
2021
128/169
Income share by poorest 10%
2.9%
2021
77/169
Government expenditure, % of GDP
23.4%
2026
131/195
Consumer prices inflation
2.32%
2023-2024
132/195
Central bank interest rate
2.5%
2025
91/105
Unemployment rate
2.78%
2024
157/196
Population
51633793
29/197

South Korea's GDP per capita

South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,239, ranking 31/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $58,895, ranking 33/197, and a median annual after tax income of $23,981, ranking 34/197.

GDP per capita
GDP per capita, PPP
Year Current $
GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP
1960 $158.8 -
1961 $94.2 -
1962 $106.6 -
1963 $147 -
1964 $124.2 -
1965 $109.4 -
1966 $134.4 -
1967 $162.5 -
1968 $200 -
1969 $245.5 -
1970 $281.8 -
1971 $304 -
1972 $328 -
1973 $412 -
1974 $572 -
1975 $627 -
1976 $847 -
1977 $1,073 -
1978 $1,429 -
1979 $1,814 -
1980 $1,746 -
1981 $1,918 -
1982 $2,032 -
1983 $2,246 -
1984 $2,469 -
1985 $2,543 -
1986 $2,911 -
1987 $3,658 -
1988 $4,889 -
1989 $5,989 -
1990 $6,813 $8,612
1991 $7,873 $9,767
1992 $8,387 $10,511
1993 $9,180 $11,397
1994 $10,734 $12,596
1995 $13,002 $13,972
1996 $13,865 $15,201
1997 $12,822 $16,258
1998 $8,583 $15,520
1999 $11,063 $17,421
2000 $12,710 $19,224
2001 $11,981 $20,441
2002 $13,643 $22,173
2003 $15,212 $22,907
2004 $17,122 $24,675
2005 $20,167 $26,179
2006 $22,610 $27,955
2007 $25,078 $30,262
2008 $22,252 $31,211
2009 $19,937 $30,731
2010 $24,071 $33,101
2011 $26,175 $33,944
2012 $26,601 $35,062
2013 $28,449 $35,844
2014 $30,667 $37,032
2015 $30,172 $39,800
2016 $30,832 $41,673
2017 $33,297 $43,156
2018 $35,364 $45,511
2019 $33,827 $46,511
2020 $33,646 $47,881
2021 $37,518 $51,718
2022 $34,822 $55,071
2023 $35,674 $56,227
2024 $36,239 $58,895

South Korea's government spending, deficit, and chart

This chart shows South Korea's government spending, budget balance, and debt over time, each expressed as a share of GDP.

Over the past 50 years, South Korea recorded a fiscal deficit in 10 years — average annual surplus equal to +1.12% of GDP. In 2024, government spending reached $428B (23.4% of GDP), with a deficit of -0.45%.

The national debt reached $984B, ranking 13th out of 185 countries by total size, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 55.7%, ranking 93rd.

Government spending
Government debt
Deficit/surplus
Year % of GDP
Government spending Government debt Government deficit/surplus
1953 14.5% - -4.14%
1954 20.8% - -10.3%
1955 21.5% - -10.6%
1956 22.1% - -10.8%
1957 18.2% - -10.1%
1958 19.6% 16.9% -10%
1959 18.4% 15.3% -6.52%
1960 17.9% 13.7% -5.18%
1961 21.2% 13.4% -9.48%
1962 22.3% 13% -7.82%
1963 15.4% 9.21% -4.32%
1964 12.1% 6.57% -4.1%
1965 13.1% 6.14% -3.43%
1966 16% 4.44% -4.27%
1967 16.7% 3.74% -2.87%
1968 18.5% 2.76% -2.36%
1969 19.8% 2.63% -2.85%
1970 17.5% 6.95% -0.52%
1971 18.5% 14.2% -1.3%
1972 18.5% 17.9% -4.33%
1973 14.2% 17.5% -1.72%
1974 16.1% 18.3% -2.78%
1975 18.8% 21.1% -3.68%
1976 17% 20% -0.87%
1977 17.7% 19.7% -1.81%
1978 15.7% 18% -0.27%
1979 16.3% 15.5% 0.47%
1980 16.8% 18.2% 0.46%
1981 16.3% 18.5% 0.99%
1982 17.8% 20.2% -0.41%
1983 16% 19% 1.05%
1984 15.6% 16.7% 0.78%
1985 15.5% 16.1% 0.47%
1986 14.9% 14.4% 0.8%
1987 14.3% 15.2% 1.7%
1988 13.9% 12.6% 2.85%
1989 15% 12.3% 2.27%
1990 15.2% 12.8% 2.98%
1991 15.4% 11.9% 1.94%
1992 15.5% 11.6% 2.42%
1993 15.1% 10.9% 3.21%
1994 15.4% 9.63% 2.06%
1995 13.5% 8.48% 2.16%
1996 14% 7.81% 2.3%
1997 13.9% 9.69% 2.31%
1998 16% 13.8% 1.09%
1999 16.1% 15.8% 1.15%
2000 16% 16.1% 3.91%
2001 16.9% 16.6% 2.42%
2002 15.9% 16.4% 3.23%
2003 17.9% 19.1% 1.51%
2004 18.5% 21.6% 0.09%
2005 18.2% 24.9% 0.95%
2006 18.7% 27% 1.18%
2007 18.8% 26.3% 2.49%
2008 19.1% 25.9% 1.58%
2009 19.5% 28.8% 0.24%
2010 17.9% 28.3% 1.61%
2011 18.3% 31.7% 1.72%
2012 18.8% 33.5% 1.63%
2013 19% 36% 0.79%
2014 18.8% 37.9% 0.57%
2015 18.8% 38.8% 0.5%
2016 18.5% 39.1% 1.56%
2017 18.6% 38% 2.08%
2018 19.3% 37.9% 2.42%
2019 21.3% 39.7% 0.35%
2020 23.7% 45.9% -2.11%
2021 24.1% 48% -0.02%
2022 26.7% 49.8% -1.49%
2023 23.2% 50.7% -0.67%
2024 22.8% 52.5% -0.63%
2025 23.3% 54.5% -0.4%
2026 23.4% 55.7% -0.45%

Inflation rate by year

Over the past 20 years, South Korea has had an average annual inflation rate of 2.31%. In 2024, inflation was 2.32%. The bar chart below shows consumer price inflation by year.

Year Inflation
1960 7.97%
1961 8.2%
1962 6.62%
1963 20.7%
1964 29.5%
1965 13.5%
1966 11.3%
1967 10.9%
1968 10.8%
1969 12.4%
1970 16%
1971 13.5%
1972 11.7%
1973 3.22%
1974 24.3%
1975 25.2%
1976 15.3%
1977 10.1%
1978 14.5%
1979 18.3%
1980 28.7%
1981 21.4%
1982 7.19%
1983 3.42%
1984 2.27%
1985 2.46%
1986 2.75%
1987 3.05%
1988 7.15%
1989 5.7%
1990 8.57%
1991 9.33%
1992 6.21%
1993 4.8%
1994 6.27%
1995 4.48%
1996 4.92%
1997 4.44%
1998 7.51%
1999 0.81%
2000 2.26%
2001 4.07%
2002 2.76%
2003 3.51%
2004 3.59%
2005 2.75%
2006 2.24%
2007 2.53%
2008 4.67%
2009 2.76%
2010 2.94%
2011 4.03%
2012 2.19%
2013 1.3%
2014 1.27%
2015 0.71%
2016 0.97%
2017 1.94%
2018 1.48%
2019 0.38%
2020 0.54%
2021 2.5%
2022 5.09%
2023 3.6%
2024 2.32%

Balance of trade

South Korea Rank
Current account balance
$99B
2024
7/190
Current account balance, % of GDP
+5.28%
2024
31/190
Goods imports
$596B
2024
10/189
Goods exports
$696B
2024
4/189
Service imports
$163B
2024
13/189
Service exports
$139B
2024
18/189
Imports of goods and services, % of GDP
40.3%
2024
98/181
Exports of goods and services, % of GDP
44.4%
2024
63/193

South Korea's top 10 trading partners

South Korea's biggest trading partner accounting for 23.8%% of all exports and imports is China, with a trade balance between the two of -$3.11B — South Korea exports $156B worth of goods and services to China and imports $160B.

Below is the list of the top 10 trade partners of South Korea.

Rank Country Trade value Share of total trade Export to Import from Top export to Top import from
1 China $316B 23.8% $156B $160B Machinery & equipment Machinery & equipment
2 United States $258B 19.4% $155B $103B Machinery & equipment Machinery & equipment
3 Japan $92.8B 7% $37.7B $55B Raw materials & minerals Machinery & equipment
4 Vietnam $86.8B 6.54% $58.3B $28.4B Machinery & equipment Machinery & equipment
5 Australia $45.5B 3.43% $15.6B $30B Raw materials & minerals Raw materials & minerals
6 Saudi Arabia $36.7B 2.77% $5.24B $31.5B Machinery & equipment Raw materials & minerals
7 Germany $31.3B 2.36% $9.04B $22.3B Machinery & equipment Machinery & equipment
8 Singapore $28.8B 2.17% $18.2B $10.6B Machinery & equipment Machinery & equipment
9 India $25.1B 1.89% $18.7B $6.43B Machinery & equipment Raw materials & minerals
10 Malaysia $24.4B 1.84% $10.4B $14B Machinery & equipment Machinery & equipment

South Korea's top 10 exports

South Korea Rank
Machinery & equipment $429B 4/193
Chemicals & pharma $88.9B 10/193
Raw materials & minerals $72.6B 19/193
Metals $50B 7/192
Transport & tourism services $48.9B 17/188
Business & finance services $37.7B 16/188
Textiles & consumer goods $18.3B 20/193
IT & IP services $17.1B 16/183
Manufacturing & construction services $12B 7/164
Processed food, beverages & tobacco $8.77B 29/192

South Korea's top 10 imports

South Korea Rank
Machinery & equipment $241B 9/193
Raw materials & minerals $200B 5/193
Transport & tourism services $61.8B 11/188
Chemicals & pharma $52.2B 16/193
Business & finance services $47.7B 13/188
Metals $43.2B 8/193
Textiles & consumer goods $38.5B 12/193
IT & IP services $18.3B 15/182
Processed food, beverages & tobacco $15.7B 14/193
Manufacturing & construction services $13.5B 3/163

Economic freedom indices

South Korea Rank
Economic freedom 74 22/197
Property rights 89.4 24/182
Government integrity 68.8 24/182
Judicial effectiveness 77.3 24/182
Tax burden 59.6 170/181
Government spending 81.8 57/180
Fiscal health 93.8 34/181
Business freedom 90 4/182
Labor freedom 56.4 104/182
Monetary freedom 77.6 16/180
Trade freedom 73.2 79/181
Investment freedom 60 86/181
Financial freedom 60 62/181

South Korea's economic freedom by year

South Korea is ranked 17/180 for economic freedom with a score of 74, compared to 39/163 and a score of 66.4 in 2005.

Economic freedom
Judicial effectiveness
Tax burden
Government spending
Fiscal health
Year Index
Economic freedom Judicial effectiveness Tax burden Government spending Fiscal health
1995 72 - 63.3 85.6 -
1996 73 - 64.4 86.4 -
1997 69.8 - 68.1 86.9 -
1998 73.3 - 72.4 87.3 -
1999 69.7 - 67.8 85.5 -
2000 69.7 - 71.8 85.5 -
2001 69.1 - 71.7 79.7 -
2002 69.5 - 69.9 82.7 -
2003 68.3 - 74.2 81.8 -
2004 67.8 - 73.9 80.8 -
2005 66.4 - 69.5 77.8 -
2006 67.5 - 71.2 77.6 -
2007 67.8 - 71.6 76.3 -
2008 68.6 - 71.1 77.3 -
2009 68.1 - 70.4 72.5 -
2010 69.9 - 71.1 74.9 -
2011 69.8 - 72.2 73 -
2012 69.9 - 72.8 67.2 -
2013 70.3 - 73 72.8 -
2014 71.2 - 72.6 72.6 -
2015 71.5 - 72.5 67.9 -
2016 71.7 - 73.8 69.7 -
2017 74.3 59.9 73.7 68.9 97.4
2018 73.8 63.7 73.3 68.8 97
2019 72.3 57.5 64.2 68.6 96.8
2020 74 61 63.9 67.7 96.7
2021 74 63.4 63 86.9 96.7
2022 74.6 77.1 60.4 84.5 95.3
2023 73.7 68.7 60.1 82 94.1
2024 73.1 76.9 59 78.9 91.6
2025 74 77.3 59.6 81.8 93.8

More economic indicators

South Korea Rank
Services, % of GDP
57.5%
2024
92/191
Industry, % of GDP
33.9%
2024
40/194
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP
1.46%
2024
161/193
GNI, Atlas method
$1.9T
2024
12/194
GNI per capita, PPP
$59,750
2024
30/191
Total reserves including gold
$418B
2024
8/177
Net foreign direct investment
$33.4B
2024
7/189
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
$15.2B
2024
26/193
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
$48.6B
2024
11/193
Poverty at national poverty lines
14.4%
2020
134/176
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
30%
2024
35/178

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GDP per capita map

GDP per capita

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The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.

Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.

A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.

Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.