Korea, Rep.
Capital: SeoulRegion: East Asia & PacificIncome: High income
Korea, Rep.'s GDP is $1.94T (2026), with a population of 51.8M, and GDP per capita of $37,523. Key indicators include real GDP growth of 1.8%, inflation at 1.8%, unemployment at 3.0%, government debt at 56.7% of GDP, life expectancy of 83.4 years. Data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators. Explore Korea, Rep.'s full economic profile with 440+ indicators, interactive charts, and historical data below.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook
Economy
Stock Markets
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| KOSPI | 5,377.3 | 2026 |
Financial Markets
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Government Bond Yield (%) | 2.89% | 2025 |
| Central Bank Policy Rate (%) | 2.66% | 2025 |
| Exchange Rate (per USD) | 1,510.03 | 2026 |
Currencies
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| USD/KRW | 1,510.54 | 2026 |
Fiscal & Monetary
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Inflation, Consumer Prices (%) | 1.8% | 2026 |
| Govt Gross Debt (% of GDP) | 56.7% | 2026 |
| Fiscal Balance (% of GDP) | -1.4% | 2026 |
| Current Account Balance (% of GDP) | 3.9% | 2026 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 3.0% | 2026 |
| Inflation, CPI (%, World Bank) | 2.3% | 2024 |
| Real Interest Rate (%) | 0.6% | 2024 |
| Lending Interest Rate (%) | 4.7% | 2024 |
| Deposit Interest Rate (%) | 3.5% | 2024 |
| Government Debt (% of GDP) | 48.6% | 2023 |
| Government Revenue (% of GDP) | 27.4% | 2023 |
| Government Expenditure (% of GDP) | 28.3% | 2023 |
| Tax Revenue (% of GDP) | 14.6% | 2023 |
| Taxes on Goods & Services (% of revenue) | 16.1% | 2023 |
| Taxes on International Trade (% of revenue) | 1.1% | 2023 |
| Taxes on Income, Profits & Capital Gains (% of rev) | 30.0% | 2023 |
| Net Investment in Nonfinancial Assets (% of GDP) | 0.0% | 2023 |
| Total Reserves incl. Gold (USD) | $418.22B | 2024 |
| Total Reserves (months of imports) | 6.2 | 2024 |
| Official Exchange Rate (per USD) | 1,363.38 | 2024 |
| PPP Conversion Factor | 809.27 | 2024 |
| Broad Money (% of GDP) | 162.7% | 2024 |
Trade
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Trade (% of GDP) | 84.6% | 2024 |
| Exports of Goods & Services (% of GDP) | 44.4% | 2024 |
| Imports of Goods & Services (% of GDP) | 40.3% | 2024 |
| Exports of Goods & Services (USD) | $831.89B | 2024 |
| Imports of Goods & Services (USD) | $755.49B | 2024 |
| Merchandise Exports (USD) | $683.61B | 2024 |
| Merchandise Imports (USD) | $631.77B | 2024 |
| FDI Inflows (% of GDP) | 0.8% | 2024 |
| FDI Outflows (% of GDP) | 2.6% | 2024 |
| FDI Net Inflows (USD) | $15.23B | 2024 |
| Personal Remittances Received (USD) | $7.45B | 2024 |
| Personal Remittances Received (% of GDP) | 0.4% | 2024 |
| High-Tech Exports (% of manufactured) | 36.3% | 2024 |
| Current Account Balance (% of GDP) | 5.3% | 2024 |
| Current Account Balance (USD) | $99.04B | 2024 |
Finance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Credit to Private Sector (% of GDP) | 160.3% | 2024 |
| Stock Market Capitalization (% of GDP) | 83.0% | 2024 |
| Stock Market Capitalization (USD) | $1.56T | 2024 |
| Stock Market Turnover (% of GDP) | 166.7% | 2024 |
| Listed Domestic Companies | 2,599 | 2024 |
| Bank Capital to Assets Ratio (%) | 6.0% | 2022 |
| Bank Nonperforming Loans (%) | 0.2% | 2022 |
| Account Ownership at Financial Institution (%) | 96.9% | 2024 |
| Account Ownership, Female (%) | 97.1% | 2024 |
| Account Ownership, Male (%) | 96.6% | 2024 |
| Firms Using Banks to Finance Investment (%) | 46.4% | 2024 |
Business Environment
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Time to Get Electricity (days) | 5 | 2024 |
Private Sector
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Firms Expected to Pay Bribes (%) | 1.4% | 2024 |
| Firms with Female Top Manager (%) | 21.5% | 2024 |
| Firms with Female Participation in Ownership (%) | 44.4% | 2024 |
| Firms Offering Training (%) | 16.2% | 2024 |
| Average Firm Age (years) | 193 years | 2024 |
| Firms Using Computers (%) | 11.0% | 2024 |
People
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 51.8M | 2024 |
| Population Growth (%) | 0.1% | 2024 |
| Population Density (per km²) | 530 | 2023 |
| Surface Area (sq km) | 100,450 | 2023 |
| Land Area (sq km) | 97,600 | 2023 |
| Urban Population (%) | 81.2% | 2024 |
| Urban Population (total) | 42.0M | 2024 |
| Rural Population (%) | 18.8% | 2024 |
| Life Expectancy at Birth | 83.4 years | 2023 |
| Life Expectancy, Male | 80.6 years | 2023 |
| Life Expectancy, Female | 86.4 years | 2023 |
| Fertility Rate (births per woman) | 0.7 | 2023 |
| Birth Rate (per 1,000) | 4.5 | 2023 |
| Death Rate (per 1,000) | 6 | 2023 |
| Net Migration | 65,731 | 2025 |
| Population Ages 0–14 (%) | 10.6% | 2024 |
| Population Ages 15–64 (%) | 70.2% | 2024 |
| Population Ages 65+ (%) | 19.3% | 2024 |
| Age Dependency Ratio (%) | 42.5% | 2024 |
| Old-Age Dependency Ratio (%) | 27.5% | 2024 |
| Youth Dependency Ratio (%) | 15.1% | 2024 |
| Mortality Rate, Adult Male (per 1,000) | 44.3 | 2023 |
| Mortality Rate, Adult Female (per 1,000) | 20.7 | 2023 |
Labor
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Total Labor Force | 29.8M | 2025 |
| Labor Force Participation (%) | 64.4% | 2025 |
| Female Labor Force Participation (%) | 56.8% | 2025 |
| Male Labor Force Participation (%) | 72.0% | 2025 |
| Unemployment (%) | 2.7% | 2025 |
| Female Unemployment (%) | 2.7% | 2025 |
| Male Unemployment (%) | 2.7% | 2025 |
| Youth Unemployment (%) | 6.7% | 2025 |
| Employment in Agriculture (%) | 5.1% | 2025 |
| Employment in Industry (%) | 23.4% | 2025 |
| Employment in Services (%) | 71.5% | 2025 |
| Self-Employed (%) | 64.8% | 2024 |
| Vulnerable Employment (%) | 17.7% | 2025 |
| Wage & Salaried Workers (% of total) | 77.3% | 2025 |
| Part-Time Employment (%) | 31.9% | 2024 |
| Employers (% of total employment) | 5.0% | 2025 |
| Labor Force, Female (% of total) | 44.4% | 2025 |
| Employment to Population Ratio (%) | 62.6% | 2025 |
| Self-Employed (% of total) | 22.7% | 2025 |
Education
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Education Spending (% of GDP) | 5.8% | 2022 |
| Primary School Enrollment (%) | 100.3% | 2023 |
| Secondary School Enrollment (%) | 96.3% | 2023 |
| Tertiary School Enrollment (%) | 106.7% | 2023 |
| Primary Completion Rate (%) | 98.3% | 2023 |
| Lower Secondary Completion Rate (%) | 100.1% | 2023 |
| Out-of-School Children, Primary | 175 | 2023 |
| Out-of-School Girls, Primary | 15,928 | 2022 |
| Primary School Teachers | 171,784 | 2023 |
| Secondary School Teachers | 233,845 | 2023 |
| Pupil-Teacher Ratio, Primary | 16 | 2017 |
| Pupil-Teacher Ratio, Secondary | 13 | 2017 |
| Expenditure per Student, Primary (% of GDP/cap) | 31.7% | 2016 |
| Pupil-Teacher Ratio (Primary) | 98.6 | 2022 |
| Education Spending, Secondary (% of govt) | 38.7% | 2016 |
| Education Spending, Tertiary (% of govt) | 20.4% | 2016 |
Health
Energy & Environment
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| CO₂ Emissions (tonnes per capita) | 11.4 | 2024 |
| CO₂ Emissions (total kilotonnes) | 588 | 2024 |
| Energy Use (kg oil eq. per capita) | 5,337 | 2023 |
| Electric Power Consumption (kWh per capita) | 11,426 | 2023 |
| Renewable Electricity Output (%) | 6.6% | 2021 |
| Renewable Energy Consumption (%) | 3.6% | 2021 |
| Access to Electricity (%) | 100.0% | 2023 |
| Access to Clean Fuels for Cooking (%) | 100.0% | 2023 |
| PM2.5 Air Pollution (µg/m³) | 25.9 | 2020 |
| Forest Area (%) | 64.1% | 2023 |
| Forest Area (sq km) | 62,570 | 2023 |
| Arable Land (%) | 14.9% | 2023 |
| Terrestrial Protected Areas (%) | 5.8% | 2024 |
| Marine Protected Areas (%) | 2.2% | 2024 |
| Access to Basic Drinking Water (%) | 100.0% | 2024 |
| Access to Basic Sanitation (%) | 99.7% | 2024 |
Agriculture
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Land (%) | 16.1% | 2023 |
| Cereal Yield (kg per hectare) | 6,615 | 2023 |
| Food Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 101.2 | 2022 |
| Crop Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 93.6 | 2022 |
| Livestock Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 109.3 | 2022 |
| Land Under Cereal Production (hectares) | 776,099 | 2023 |
| Total Fisheries Production (metric tonnes) | 1.3M | 2023 |
| Fertilizer Consumption (kg per hectare) | 262.3 | 2023 |
| Prevalence of Undernourishment (%) | 2.5% | 2023 |
| Annual Freshwater Withdrawals (% of internal) | 45.0% | 2022 |
| Cereal Production (metric tons) | 5.1M | 2023 |
Technology
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Internet Users (%) | 97.9% | 2024 |
| Mobile Subscriptions (per 100 people) | 162 | 2023 |
| Fixed Broadband Subscriptions (per 100) | 46.6 | 2023 |
| Secure Internet Servers (per million) | 11,902.4 | 2024 |
| R&D Spending (% of GDP) | 5.21% | 2022 |
| Patent Applications, Residents | 186,245 | 2021 |
| Patent Applications, Non-Residents | 51,753 | 2021 |
| Scientific Journal Articles | 76,936 | 2022 |
| High-Technology Exports (USD) | $216.20B | 2024 |
| ICT Service Exports (% of service exports) | 10.4% | 2024 |
| ICT Service Exports (USD) | $14.51B | 2024 |
| Industrial Design Applications, Resident | 61,233 | 2021 |
| Researchers in R&D (per million) | 9,435 | 2022 |
Infrastructure
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Air Transport, Passengers Carried | 76.3M | 2023 |
| Air Transport, Freight (million ton-km) | 12,293.8 | 2023 |
| Container Port Traffic (TEU) | 28.5M | 2022 |
| Rail Lines (total km) | 4,309 | 2021 |
| Railways, Passengers (million km) | 100,381 | 2019 |
| Railways, Goods (million ton-km) | 6,757 | 2021 |
| Logistics Performance Index (1–5) | 3.80 | 2022 |
| Electricity from Oil (%) | 1.2% | 2023 |
| Electricity from Nuclear (%) | 29.6% | 2023 |
Gender
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Women in Parliament (%) | 20.0% | 2024 |
| Female Labor Force Participation, 15+ (%) | 56.8% | 2024 |
| Female Wage & Salaried Workers (%) | 80.6% | 2025 |
| Girls Out-of-School Rate (%) | 100.5% | 2017 |
| Adolescent Fertility Rate (per 1,000) | 0.5 | 2023 |
| Gender Parity Index, Primary | 100.94 | 2017 |
| Gender Parity Index, Secondary | 0.99 | 2020 |
| Gender Parity in Primary Education | 1.00 | 2020 |
Governance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Control of Corruption | 0.89 | 2023 |
| Government Effectiveness | 1.4 | 2023 |
| Political Stability | 0.61 | 2023 |
| Regulatory Quality | 1.12 | 2023 |
| Rule of Law | 1.25 | 2023 |
| Voice & Accountability | 0.86 | 2023 |
| Control of Corruption (percentile rank) | 79.7% | 2023 |
| Government Effectiveness (percentile rank) | 90.6% | 2023 |
| Rule of Law (percentile rank) | 85.8% | 2023 |
| Political Stability (percentile rank) | 68.2% | 2023 |
Military
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Military Spending (% of GDP) | 2.6% | 2024 |
| Military Expenditure (USD) | $47.57B | 2024 |
| Armed Forces Personnel | 569,000 | 2020 |
| Armed Forces (% of labor force) | 2.0% | 2020 |
| Military Spending (% of govt expenditure) | 11.3% | 2024 |
| Intentional Homicides (per 100,000) | 0.5 | 2023 |
Poverty & Inequality
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty at $2.15/day (%) | 0.2% | 2021 |
| Poverty at $3.65/day (%) | 0.2% | 2021 |
| Poverty at $6.85/day (%) | 0.5% | 2021 |
| Gini Index | 32.9 | 2021 |
| Income Share, Top 10% | 24.6% | 2021 |
| Income Share, Bottom 10% | 2.9% | 2021 |
| Income Share, Top 20% | 40.0% | 2021 |
| Income Share, Bottom 20% | 7.5% | 2021 |
| Shared Prosperity Premium (%) | 3.7% | 2021 |
| Survey Mean Consumption (2017 PPP $ per day) | 64.39 | 2021 |
| Poverty Gap at $2.15/day (%) | 0.0% | 2021 |
Social Protection
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Human Capital Index (0–1) | 0.80 | 2020 |
| Human Capital Index, Female | 0.81 | 2020 |
| Human Capital Index, Male | 0.78 | 2020 |
| Learning-Adjusted Years of School | 11.7 years | 2020 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| International Tourism, Arrivals | 2.5M | 2020 |
| International Tourism, Departures | 4.3M | 2020 |
| Tourism Receipts (USD) | $11.78B | 2020 |
| Tourism Expenditures (USD) | $16.70B | 2020 |
| Tourism Receipts (% of total exports) | 1.9% | 2020 |
| International Tourism, Transport Services (USD) | $1.25B | 2020 |
Urban Development
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Population Growth (%) | 0.1% | 2024 |
| Population in Largest City | 10.0M | 2025 |
| Population in Largest City (% of urban) | 23.9% | 2025 |
| Population in Agglomerations >1M (% of total) | 51.1% | 2025 |
| Population in Slums (% of urban) | 4.5% | 2022 |
| Rural Population Growth (%) | 0.1% | 2024 |
| Access to Safely Managed Drinking Water (%) | 99.3% | 2024 |
| Access to Safely Managed Sanitation (%) | 99.3% | 2024 |
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