Current account balance in South Korea
South Korea: Current account balance was 123.05 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Current account balance in South Korea, 1976–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in BoP, current US$.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 123.05 billion BoP, current US$ for current account balance in 2025. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 23.1% on the previous year and up 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance in South Korea peaked at 123.05 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025 and was at its lowest, -24.46 billion BoP, current US$, in 1996.
That places South Korea 4th out of 200 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Current account balance in South Korea, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | -310.00 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1977 | 12.00 million BoP, current US$ | -103.9% |
| 1978 | -1.08 billion BoP, current US$ | -9141.7% |
| 1979 | -4.15 billion BoP, current US$ | +282.6% |
| 1980 | -6.84 billion BoP, current US$ | +64.9% |
| 1981 | -6.42 billion BoP, current US$ | -6.2% |
| 1982 | -5.54 billion BoP, current US$ | -13.7% |
| 1983 | -3.51 billion BoP, current US$ | -36.7% |
| 1984 | -1.76 billion BoP, current US$ | -49.9% |
| 1985 | -2.08 billion BoP, current US$ | +18.4% |
| 1986 | 2.76 billion BoP, current US$ | -232.8% |
| 1987 | 8.83 billion BoP, current US$ | +219.6% |
| 1988 | 12.76 billion BoP, current US$ | +44.5% |
| 1989 | 3.77 billion BoP, current US$ | -70.5% |
| 1990 | -2.80 billion BoP, current US$ | -174.5% |
| 1991 | -8.03 billion BoP, current US$ | +186.5% |
| 1992 | -2.90 billion BoP, current US$ | -63.9% |
| 1993 | 1.69 billion BoP, current US$ | -158.2% |
| 1994 | -4.79 billion BoP, current US$ | -384.0% |
| 1995 | -10.23 billion BoP, current US$ | +113.4% |
| 1996 | -24.46 billion BoP, current US$ | +139.1% |
| 1997 | -10.81 billion BoP, current US$ | -55.8% |
| 1998 | 40.11 billion BoP, current US$ | -471.0% |
| 1999 | 21.78 billion BoP, current US$ | -45.7% |
| 2000 | 10.18 billion BoP, current US$ | -53.3% |
| 2001 | 2.17 billion BoP, current US$ | -78.7% |
| 2002 | 4.07 billion BoP, current US$ | +87.8% |
| 2003 | 11.31 billion BoP, current US$ | +178.1% |
| 2004 | 29.29 billion BoP, current US$ | +159.0% |
| 2005 | 12.21 billion BoP, current US$ | -58.3% |
| 2006 | 2.09 billion BoP, current US$ | -82.8% |
| 2007 | 10.47 billion BoP, current US$ | +399.9% |
| 2008 | 1.75 billion BoP, current US$ | -83.3% |
| 2009 | 33.09 billion BoP, current US$ | +1787.5% |
| 2010 | 27.95 billion BoP, current US$ | -15.5% |
| 2011 | 16.64 billion BoP, current US$ | -40.5% |
| 2012 | 48.79 billion BoP, current US$ | +193.2% |
| 2013 | 77.26 billion BoP, current US$ | +58.3% |
| 2014 | 83.03 billion BoP, current US$ | +7.5% |
| 2015 | 105.12 billion BoP, current US$ | +26.6% |
| 2016 | 97.92 billion BoP, current US$ | -6.8% |
| 2017 | 75.23 billion BoP, current US$ | -23.2% |
| 2018 | 77.47 billion BoP, current US$ | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 59.68 billion BoP, current US$ | -23.0% |
| 2020 | 76.50 billion BoP, current US$ | +28.2% |
| 2021 | 83.88 billion BoP, current US$ | +9.6% |
| 2022 | 23.24 billion BoP, current US$ | -72.3% |
| 2023 | 32.53 billion BoP, current US$ | +40.0% |
| 2024 | 99.97 billion BoP, current US$ | +207.3% |
| 2025 | 123.05 billion BoP, current US$ | +23.1% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 123.05 billion BoP, current US$ is above the median for high income countries, which is 303.23 million BoP, current US$, 405.8× the median. (72 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 123.05 billion BoP, current US$ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 22.41 million BoP, current US$, 5491.6× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Current account balance in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | -9141.7% | 12.00 million BoP, current US$ | -1.08 billion BoP, current US$ |
| 2009 | +1787.5% | 1.75 billion BoP, current US$ | 33.09 billion BoP, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -1.38 billion BoP, current US$ | -4.15 billion BoP, current US$ | 12.00 million BoP, current US$ | 4 |
| 1980s | 196.43 million BoP, current US$ | -6.84 billion BoP, current US$ | 12.76 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | -44.92 million BoP, current US$ | -24.46 billion BoP, current US$ | 40.11 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.66 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.75 billion BoP, current US$ | 33.09 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 66.91 billion BoP, current US$ | 16.64 billion BoP, current US$ | 105.12 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 73.20 billion BoP, current US$ | 23.24 billion BoP, current US$ | 123.05 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 1 China 735.02 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 2 Germany 227.59 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 3 Japan 215.77 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 5 Netherlands 110.92 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 6 Ireland 105.99 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 7 Singapore 100.93 billion BoP, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for South Korea
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 41.23 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.022 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 797.74 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 15.80 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 22.87 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0084 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 305.78 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 4.39 % change on previous year (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2332 includes gold, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), per capita 8,447 includes gold, current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current account balance in South Korea?
- Current account balance in South Korea was 123.05 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest current account balance recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 123.05 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025.
- What is the lowest current account balance recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was -24.46 billion BoP, current US$ in 1996.
- How does South Korea rank for current account balance?
- South Korea ranks 4th out of 200 countries with data for 2025.
- Is current account balance rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Current account balance (BoP, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Balance of current transactions (transactions in goods and services, earned income and transfer income) between residents and non-residents. The term current account balance is used in the external accounts and is expressed from the perspective of resident units. The term current external balance is used in the national accounts and is expressed from the perspective of the non-resident units, and therefore with the opposite sign. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.