Current account balance as a proportion of GDP (%) in South Korea
South Korea: Current account balance as a proportion of GDP (%) was 5.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Current account balance as a proportion of GDP in South Korea, 2000–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, current account balance as a proportion of gdp in South Korea stood at 5.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 196.8% on the previous year and down 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance as a proportion of gdp in South Korea peaked at 6.8% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2008.
That places South Korea 37th out of 205 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Current account balance as a proportion of GDP (%) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1.7% | — |
| 2001 | 0.4% | -77.6% |
| 2002 | 0.6% | +64.0% |
| 2003 | 1.6% | +148.1% |
| 2004 | 3.6% | +129.2% |
| 2005 | 1.3% | -64.7% |
| 2006 | 0.2% | -84.8% |
| 2007 | 0.9% | +348.4% |
| 2008 | 0.2% | -81.3% |
| 2009 | 3.4% | +1995.8% |
| 2010 | 2.3% | -30.4% |
| 2011 | 1.3% | -45.7% |
| 2012 | 3.7% | +187.0% |
| 2013 | 5.4% | +47.4% |
| 2014 | 5.3% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 6.8% | +28.0% |
| 2016 | 6.2% | -9.2% |
| 2017 | 4.4% | -29.1% |
| 2018 | 4.2% | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 3.4% | -19.7% |
| 2020 | 4.4% | +27.7% |
| 2021 | 4.4% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 1.4% | -67.3% |
| 2023 | 1.8% | +23.9% |
| 2024 | 5.3% | +196.8% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 5.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.6%, 3.3× the median. (69 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 5.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.1%, 4.8× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Current account balance as a proportion of GDP (%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +1995.8% | 0.2% | 3.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.4% | 0.2% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.3% | 1.3% | 6.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.4% | 1.4% | 5.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
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 current account balance as a proportion of gdp in South Korea?
- Current account balance as a proportion of gdp in South Korea was 5.3% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest current account balance as a proportion of gdp recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 6.8% in 2015.
- What is the lowest current account balance as a proportion of gdp recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2008.
- How does South Korea rank for current account balance as a proportion of gdp?
- South Korea ranks 37th out of 205 countries with data for 2024.
- Is current account balance as a proportion of gdp rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.0%. 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 Current account balance as a proportion of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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