Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person (%) in South Korea
South Korea: Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person (%) was 0.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person in South Korea, 2000–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 0.7% for annual growth rate of real gdp per employed person in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 53.2% on the previous year and down 52.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual growth rate of real gdp per employed person in South Korea peaked at 5.4% in 2010 and was at its lowest, -0.4%, in 2022.
That places South Korea 153rd out of 201 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person (%) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 4.5% | — |
| 2001 | 3.0% | -35.2% |
| 2002 | 5.2% | +74.9% |
| 2003 | 3.4% | -33.9% |
| 2004 | 3.2% | -7.3% |
| 2005 | 3.9% | +21.8% |
| 2006 | 4.1% | +7.3% |
| 2007 | 4.7% | +12.8% |
| 2008 | 2.7% | -42.5% |
| 2009 | 1.1% | -59.0% |
| 2010 | 5.4% | +389.1% |
| 2011 | 1.3% | -75.1% |
| 2012 | 0.0% | -97.0% |
| 2013 | 1.1% | +2525.0% |
| 2014 | 0.3% | -73.3% |
| 2015 | 1.4% | +396.4% |
| 2016 | 1.9% | +34.5% |
| 2017 | 1.9% | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 2.7% | +39.6% |
| 2019 | 1.2% | -56.0% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | -89.0% |
| 2021 | 3.5% | +2576.9% |
| 2022 | -0.4% | -111.2% |
| 2023 | 0.2% | -153.8% |
| 2024 | 1.4% | +571.4% |
| 2025 | 0.7% | -53.2% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 0.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.5%, 44% of the median. (59 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 0.7% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.2%, 30% of the median. (26 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person (%) in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +2576.9% | 0.1% | 3.5% |
| 2013 | +2525.0% | 0.0% | 1.1% |
| 2024 | +571.4% | 0.2% | 1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.6% | 1.1% | 5.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.7% | 0.0% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9% | -0.4% | 3.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 150 Comoros 0.8% compare
- 151 Burkina Faso 0.7% compare
- 152 Kuwait 0.7% compare
- 153 Republic of Korea 0.7% compare
- 155 Israel 0.7% compare
- 156 Sao Tome and Principe 0.6% compare
More economy & growth data for South Korea
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -49.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 7.89 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0085 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 307.17 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 2.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0062 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 224.29 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 4.58 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0047 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per capita 168.75 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual growth rate of real gdp per employed person in South Korea?
- Annual growth rate of real gdp per employed person in South Korea was 0.7% in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest annual growth rate of real gdp per employed person recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 5.4% in 2010.
- What is the lowest annual growth rate of real gdp per employed person recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.4% in 2022.
- How does South Korea rank for annual growth rate of real gdp per employed person?
- South Korea ranks 153rd out of 201 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual growth rate of real gdp per employed person rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 52.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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