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Macro

South Korea

East Asia & Pacific · High income · IMF WEO April 2026 · World Bank WDI

GDP▼ 0.2%
Current prices2025
1,872USD bn
GDP per capita■ 0.0%
Current prices2025
36,227USD
Real GDP growth▼ 1.0 pp
Annual change2025
1.0%
Inflation▼ 0.2 pp
Average consumer prices2025
2.1%
Unemployment■ 0.0 pp
Rate2025
2.8%
Government debt▲ 2.6 pp
General government, gross2025
52.3% of GDP
Current account▲ 1.2 pp
Balance2025
6.6% of GDP
Population▼ 0.1%
Total2025
51.68million

Real GDP growth, %

Since 1995 · lighter bars = IMF projection
-4.90.011.61995: 9.7%1996: 8.0%1997: 6.3%1998: -4.9%1999: 11.6%2000: 9.2%2001: 4.7%2002: 7.7%2003: 3.1%2004: 5.2%2005: 4.4%2006: 5.2%2007: 5.8%2008: 3.0%2009: 0.8%2010: 7.0%2011: 3.7%2012: 2.5%2013: 3.3%2014: 3.2%2015: 2.9%2016: 3.2%2017: 3.4%2018: 3.2%2019: 2.3%2020: -0.7%2021: 4.6%2022: 2.7%2023: 1.6%2024: 2.0%2025: 1.0%2026: 1.9% (IMF projection)2027: 2.1% (IMF projection)2028: 2.2% (IMF projection)2029: 2.0% (IMF projection)2030: 1.9% (IMF projection)2031: 1.9% (IMF projection)IMF projection19952000200520102015202020252030

Inflation, %

Average consumer prices · lighter bars = IMF projection
0.07.51995: 4.5%1996: 4.9%1997: 4.4%1998: 7.5%1999: 0.8%2000: 2.3%2001: 4.1%2002: 2.8%2003: 3.5%2004: 3.6%2005: 2.8%2006: 2.2%2007: 2.5%2008: 4.7%2009: 2.8%2010: 2.9%2011: 4.0%2012: 2.2%2013: 1.3%2014: 1.3%2015: 0.7%2016: 1.0%2017: 1.9%2018: 1.5%2019: 0.4%2020: 0.5%2021: 2.5%2022: 5.1%2023: 3.6%2024: 2.3%2025: 2.1%2026: 2.5% (IMF projection)2027: 1.9% (IMF projection)2028: 2.0% (IMF projection)2029: 2.0% (IMF projection)2030: 2.0% (IMF projection)2031: 2.0% (IMF projection)IMF projection19952000200520102015202020252030

IMF outlook

IMF World Economic Outlook April 2026 · italics = IMF projection
Indicator2021202220232024202520262027202820292030
Real GDP growth %4.62.71.62.01.01.92.12.22.01.9
Inflation, average consumer prices %2.55.13.62.32.12.51.92.02.02.0
Unemployment rate %3.72.92.72.82.82.82.92.82.82.8
GDP, current prices USD bn1,9421,7991,8451,8751,8721,9312,0102,0942,1812,267
GDP per capita, current prices USD37,51834,82235,67436,23936,22737,41239,01240,69542,45344,177
GDP per capita, PPP Int. USD51,88057,19360,20262,88565,40568,62471,73274,58577,52680,547
General government gross debt % of GDP48.049.850.549.752.354.456.658.560.161.7
General government net lending/borrowing % of GDP-0.0-1.5-0.7-0.8-1.4-1.5-1.3-1.3-1.1-1.1
Current account balance % of GDP4.31.31.85.36.65.65.45.35.45.5
Population million51.7751.6751.7151.7551.6851.6151.5351.4651.3851.31

Government debt, % of GDP

General government gross debt
0.063.12000: 16%2001: 17%2002: 16%2003: 19%2004: 22%2005: 25%2006: 27%2007: 26%2008: 26%2009: 29%2010: 28%2011: 32%2012: 34%2013: 36%2014: 38%2015: 39%2016: 39%2017: 38%2018: 38%2019: 40%2020: 46%2021: 48%2022: 50%2023: 51%2024: 50%2025: 52%2026: 54% (IMF projection)2027: 57% (IMF projection)2028: 58% (IMF projection)2029: 60% (IMF projection)2030: 62% (IMF projection)2031: 63% (IMF projection)IMF projection2000200520102015202020252030

Current account, % of GDP

Balance of payments
0.06.82000: 1.7%2001: 0.4%2002: 0.6%2003: 1.6%2004: 3.6%2005: 1.3%2006: 0.2%2007: 0.9%2008: 0.2%2009: 3.4%2010: 2.3%2011: 1.3%2012: 3.7%2013: 5.4%2014: 5.3%2015: 6.8%2016: 6.2%2017: 4.4%2018: 4.2%2019: 3.4%2020: 4.4%2021: 4.3%2022: 1.3%2023: 1.8%2024: 5.3%2025: 6.6%2026: 5.6% (IMF projection)2027: 5.4% (IMF projection)2028: 5.3% (IMF projection)2029: 5.4% (IMF projection)2030: 5.5% (IMF projection)2031: 5.5% (IMF projection)IMF projection2000200520102015202020252030

Economic structure

Value added by sector, % of GDP · World Bank
AgricultureManufacturingOther industryServices
YearStructureAgricultureIndustryManufacturingServices
19955.136.526.349.7
20052.534.126.154.4
20151.935.127.855.1
20251.534.327.457.2

Income, trade and society

World Bank WDI · change over 10 years
IndicatorLatestUnitYear10Y change
GNI per capita, Atlas method37,880USD2025+25.7%
GNI, Atlas method1,958USD bn2025+27.4%
Exports of goods and services45.8% of GDP2025+4.8 pp
Imports of goods and services40.6% of GDP2025+6.2 pp
Life expectancy at birth83.6years2024+2.3%
Urban population81.2% of total2025-0.5 pp

South Korea on the platform

Market data for this country

Sources: IMF World Economic Outlook (April 2026; 2026 onwards are IMF projections) · World Bank World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)