South Korea

Economy

• GDP

  : 1.87 T$ (2025)

• GDP per capita

  : 36227 $ (2025)

• GDP growth

  : 1.0 % (2025)

• GDP, PPP

  : 3.26 T$ (2025)

• GDP per capita, PPP

  : 63125 $ (2025)

• Price level (relative cost of living)

  : 0.59 (2024)

• Inflation

  : 2.1 % (2025)

• Unemployment

  : 2.7 % (2025)

• Youth unemployment (ages 15-24)

  : 6.7 % (2025)

• Exports

  : 45.8 % (2025)

• Imports

  : 40.6 % (2025)

• Trade balance (goods and services)

  : 96.7 B$ (2025)

• Current account balance

  : 6.6 % (2025)

• Total reserves

  : 436.6 B$ (2025)

• Foreign direct investment

  : 0.8 % (2025)

• Poverty rate

  : 0.1 % (2021)

• Agriculture

  : 1.5 % (2025)

• Industry

  : 34.3 % (2025)

• Services

  : 57.2 % (2025)

• Remittances received

  : 0.4 % (2025)

• Outward foreign direct investment

  : 2.2 % (2025)

• Industrial production

  : 5.5 % (2026)

• Retail sales

  : -0.7 % (2026)

Demographics

• Population

  : 51.7 M (2025)

• Population growth

  : -0.1 % (2025)

• Net migration

  : 65 731 (2025)

• Population density

  : 529.8 (2023)

• Life expectancy

  : 83.6 yrs (2024)

• Fertility rate

  : 0.75 (2024)

• Birth rate

  : 4.70 (2024)

• Death rate

  : 7.00 (2024)

• Urban population

  : 81.2 % (2025)

• Rural population

  : 18.8 % (2025)

• Labor force

  : 29.9 M (2025)

• Infant mortality (under one year)

  : 0.2 % (2023)

• Age dependency ratio

  : 41.4 % (2023)

• Share of women in the population

  : 50.1 % (2025)

• Refugee population hosted

  : 4 241 (2024)

Social

• Education expenditure

  : 5.4 % (2022)

• Health expenditure

  : 8.7 % (2024)

• Gini index

  : 32.9 (2021)

• Internet users

  : 97.9 % (2024)

• Mobile subscriptions

  : 172.5 (2024)

• Access to electricity

  : 100.0 % (2024)

• Access to basic drinking water

  : 100.0 % (2024)

• Median income

  : 54 $ (2021)

• Income share of the top 10%

  : 25.0 % (2021)

• PISA score — mathematics

  : 527.3 (2022)

• PISA score — reading literacy

  : 515.4 (2022)

• PISA score — science

  : 527.8 (2022)

• Primary school completion

  : 100.0 % (2025)

• Mean years of schooling

  : 12.7 yrs (2023)

• Harmonised learning outcomes

  : 537.2 (2020)

• Bank account ownership

  : 87.4 % (2024)

• Labour force participation (ages 25-64)

  : 69.5 % (2025)

• Gender pay gap

  : 29.3 % (2022)

Defense

• Armed forces personnel

  : 569 000 (2020)

• Military expenditure

  : 2.6 % (2024)

• Death rate from armed conflicts

  : 0.0 (2025)

Environment

• CO₂ per capita

  : 11.4 (2024)

• CO₂ (consumption-based) per capita

  : 13.2 (2022)

• Renewable energy

  : 3.6 % (2021)

• Renewable electricity production

  : 6.6 % (2021)

• Energy consumption

  : 5 439 (2024)

• Forest area

  : 64.1 % (2023)

• Threatened bird species

  : 34.0 (2022)

• Threatened fish species

  : 69.0 (2022)

• Threatened mammal species

  : 12.0 (2022)

• Electricity from coal

  : 31.1 % (2025)

• Electricity from gas

  : 27.9 % (2025)

• Electricity from hydropower

  : 0.6 % (2025)

• Electricity from nuclear

  : 29.6 % (2025)

• Electricity from solar

  : 6.0 % (2025)

• Electricity from wind

  : 0.6 % (2025)

• Greenhouse gases per capita

  : 12.0 (2024)

• Greenhouse gases (total)

  : 621.4 M (2024)

• Fine particulate exposure (PM2.5)

  : 21.0 (2024)

• Tree cover loss

  : 86 981 (2025)

• Renewables regulatory framework (RISE)

  : 61.2 (2023)

• Forest area (absolute)

  : 6 287 (2020)

Health

• DTP3 immunization coverage

  : 97.0 % (2024)

• Measles immunization coverage

  : 97.0 % (2024)

• Under-five mortality

  : 2.80 (2024)

• Maternal mortality ratio

  : 4.00 (2023)

• Non-communicable disease mortality (ages 30-70)

  : 6.9 % (2021)

• Hypertension prevalence (ages 30-79)

  : 21.2 % (2019)

• Adult obesity prevalence

  : 5.6 % (2022)

• Diabetes prevalence (ages 20-79)

  : 9.6 % (2024)

• Smoking prevalence, adults (age-standardized)

  : 18.6 % (2024)

• Universal health coverage

  : 88.0 (2023)

• Physicians

  : 2.61 (2022)

• Hospital beds

  : 12.8 (2022)

• Adolescent fertility (ages 15-19)

  : 0.53 (2024)

Public finances

• Government expenditure

  : 28.3 % (2023)

• Fiscal balance

  : -1.8 % (2024)

• General government debt

  : 53.8 % (2022)

• Primary balance

  : -1.9 % (2022)

Governance

• Control of corruption

  : 0.85 (2024)

• Government effectiveness

  : 1.49 (2024)

• Intentional homicides

  : 0.48 (2023)

• Political stability

  : 0.64 (2024)

• Rule of law

  : 1.12 (2024)

• Regulatory quality

  : 1.01 (2024)

• Voice and accountability

  : 0.81 (2024)

• Political regime

  : 3.00 (2025)

• Free and fair elections

  : 1.00 (2025)

Business

• Investment (gross fixed capital formation)

  : 28.3 % (2025)

• New business density

  : 3.51 (2023)

• Credit to the private sector

  : 164.8 % (2020)

• Non-performing bank loans

  : 0.2 % (2020)

• Inward foreign direct investment (amount)

  : 15.8 B$ (2025)

Consumption

• Household consumption

  : 48.0 % (2025)

• Gross national savings

  : 35.6 % (2025)

Well-being

• Self-reported life satisfaction

  : 6.04 (2025)