Country profile · World rank 13th by GDP · World Bank data
South Korea Economy 2026
The South Korea economy in 2026: nominal & PPP GDP ($1.87 trillion, 13th globally), GDP per capita, growth 1.0%, inflation 2.1%, unemployment 2.7%, trade and population — charts, world rankings and a downloadable dataset. Source: World Bank. Free to cite.
Executive summary
South Korea is the world's 13th-largest economy, with a nominal GDP of $1.87 trillion (2025) according to the World Bank. Measured per person, its GDP per capita of $36,227 ranks 23rd globally and sits below the OECD average of $51,734. The economy grew 1.0% in its latest year, with consumer-price inflation of 2.1% and unemployment of 2.7%. South Korea has a population of 51.7 million (21st-largest among the economies tracked). Every figure below carries its World Bank series and year; the full dataset is downloadable as CSV and JSON under a CC BY 4.0 licence.
Key findings
South Korea is the 13th-largest economy
South Korea's GDP (nominal) was $1.87 trillion (2025), ranking 13th of 49 economies. At PPP its GDP is $3.16 trillion.
Source: World Bank Open Data · 2025 · confidence: High
Living standards (GDP per capita)
South Korea's GDP per capita was $36,227 (2025), ranking 23rd of 49 economies. At PPP, $61,051; GNI per capita $37,880.
Source: World Bank Open Data · 2025 · confidence: High
Economic growth
South Korea's GDP growth was 1.0% (2025), ranking 38th of 49 economies.
Source: World Bank Open Data · 2025 · confidence: High
Inflation
South Korea's inflation (CPI) was 2.1% (2025), ranking 34th of 49 economies.
Source: World Bank Open Data · 2025 · confidence: High
Unemployment
South Korea's unemployment (ILO) was 2.7% (2025), ranking 42nd of 49 economies.
Source: World Bank Open Data · 2025 · confidence: High
Population
South Korea's population was 51.7 million (2025), ranking 21st of 49 economies.
Source: World Bank Open Data · 2025 · confidence: High
Trade openness
South Korea's exports (% of GDP) was 45.8% (2025), ranking 16th of 48 economies. Exports as a share of GDP.
Source: World Bank Open Data · 2025 · confidence: High
Data vintage — July 2026
Figures are the most recent year available in the World Bank Open Data API for South Korea (shown next to each value). World ranks are computed across the major economies Affärslivet tracks. This profile regenerates automatically as new data is published.
Economic size
South Korea is the world's 13th-largest economy by nominal GDP at $1.87 trillion (2025). At purchasing-power parity (PPP) — which adjusts for local price levels — its GDP is $3.16 trillion, a fairer gauge of real output. For reference, the world economy totals $118.35 trillion.
| Indicator | South Korea | World rank | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| GDP (nominal) | $1.87 trillion | 13th/49 | 2025 |
| GDP (PPP) | $3.16 trillion | 14th/49 | 2024 |
Living standards
GDP per capita — output per person — is $36,227 (23rd globally), below the OECD average of $51,734 and the world average of $14,406. At PPP it is $61,051. GNI per capita — income including flows from abroad — is $37,880, a useful cross-check.
| Indicator | South Korea | World rank | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| GDP per capita | $36,227 | 23rd/49 | 2025 |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $61,051 | 21st/49 | 2024 |
| GNI per capita | $37,880 | 23rd/49 | 2025 |
Economic growth
Real GDP grew 1.0% in the latest year. The chart tracks South Korea's growth against Sweden over the past decade.
Inflation
Consumer-price inflation was 2.1% in South Korea's latest year, against a world backdrop of disinflation from the 2022–2023 shock.
Labour market
The unemployment rate (ILO-modelled, for cross-country comparison) was 2.7%.
Trade & structure
Exports equal 45.8% of GDP and industry accounts for 34.3% of value added — indicators of how open and how industrialised the economy is.
| Indicator | South Korea | World rank | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exports (% of GDP) | 45.8% | 16th/48 | 2025 |
| Industry (% of GDP) | 34.3% | 9th/49 | 2025 |
| Government debt (% of GDP) | 47.8% | 17th/23 | 2024 |
Population
South Korea has 51.7 million people (21st-largest of the economies tracked), the denominator behind every per-capita figure above.
| Indicator | South Korea | World rank | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 51.7 million | 21st/49 | 2025 |
All indicators at a glance
Every tracked indicator for South Korea, with its world rank and reference year.
| Indicator | South Korea | World rank | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| GDP (nominal) | $1.87 trillion | 13th/49 | 2025 |
| GDP (PPP) | $3.16 trillion | 14th/49 | 2024 |
| GDP per capita | $36,227 | 23rd/49 | 2025 |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $61,051 | 21st/49 | 2024 |
| GNI per capita | $37,880 | 23rd/49 | 2025 |
| GDP growth | 1.0% | 38th/49 | 2025 |
| Inflation (CPI) | 2.1% | 34th/49 | 2025 |
| Unemployment (ILO) | 2.7% | 42nd/49 | 2025 |
| Population | 51.7 million | 21st/49 | 2025 |
| Exports (% of GDP) | 45.8% | 16th/48 | 2025 |
| Government debt (% of GDP) | 47.8% | 17th/23 | 2024 |
| Industry (% of GDP) | 34.3% | 9th/49 | 2025 |
Scoreboard (machine-readable data)
Every headline indicator with its value, period, source and confidence. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.
| Indicator | Value | Period | Source | Conf. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP (nominal) | 1872374961553.15 US$ | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| GDP (PPP) | 3159472343387.38 US$ | 2024 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| GDP per capita | 36226.97 US$ | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | 61051.35 US$ | 2024 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| GNI per capita | 37880 US$ | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| GDP growth | 1.01 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Inflation (CPI) | 2.12 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Unemployment (ILO) | 2.68 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Population | 51684564 people | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Exports (% of GDP) | 45.76 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Government debt (% of GDP) | 47.81 % | 2024 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Industry (% of GDP) | 34.33 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
Methodology & verification
This profile compiles World Bank Open Data indicators for South Korea, which harmonises national statistics for cross-country comparison. GDP is shown in both nominal (current US$) and PPP (international $) terms; growth and inflation are annual percentages; unemployment uses the ILO-modelled estimate. World ranks are computed across the ~50 major economies tracked and are indicative, not exhaustive. Each value is the latest year available; missing values are shown n/a, never estimated. Confidence: High (official multilateral source).
Data dictionary
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| metric | string | World Bank indicator code |
| label | string | Indicator name |
| value | number | Value for South Korea |
| unit | string | US$, %, or people |
| period | string | Reference year |
| source_url | string | World Bank indicator page |
Frequently asked questions
What is South Korea's GDP?
South Korea's nominal GDP was $1.87 trillion (2025), the world's 13th-largest; at PPP it was $3.16 trillion. Source: World Bank.
What is South Korea's GDP per capita?
$36,227 nominal (23rd globally) and $61,051 at PPP (2025). Source: World Bank.
What is South Korea's inflation rate?
Consumer-price inflation was 2.1% in South Korea's latest reported year. Source: World Bank.
What is South Korea's unemployment rate?
2.7% on the ILO-modelled measure (2025). Source: World Bank.
How fast is South Korea's economy growing?
Real GDP grew 1.0% in the latest year. Source: World Bank.
What is South Korea's population?
51.7 million (21st-largest of the economies tracked). Source: World Bank.
Where does this data come from?
The World Bank Open Data API. Every figure shows its reference year and links to its indicator page; world ranks are computed across the major economies tracked.
Can I download this data?
Yes — the full profile is available as CSV and JSON under a CC BY 4.0 licence, free to reuse with attribution to Affärslivet.
Glossary
- GDP (nominal)
- Gross domestic product at current market prices and exchange rates. ↗
- GDP (PPP)
- GDP converted at purchasing-power parity, adjusting for price-level differences between countries. ↗
- GDP per capita
- GDP divided by population — a gauge of average prosperity. ↗
- GNI per capita
- Gross national income per person, including net income from abroad. ↗
- Inflation (CPI)
- Annual percentage change in consumer prices. ↗
- Unemployment (ILO)
- Share of the labour force without work but seeking it, on the internationally comparable ILO definition. ↗
- World Bank Open Data
- A free, authoritative database of harmonised economic indicators for every country. ↗
How to cite this report
APA
Affärslivet Research. (2026). South Korea Economy 2026. Affärslivet. Version 1.0. https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/reports/south-korea-economy
MLA
Affärslivet Research. "South Korea Economy 2026." Affärslivet, 2026-07-01, https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/reports/south-korea-economy.
BibTeX
@techreport{affarslivet_south_korea_economy,
title = {South Korea Economy 2026},
author = {{Affärslivet Research}},
year = {2026},
note = {Version 1.0},
url = {https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/reports/south-korea-economy}
}