Economic Outlook No 115 — Potential employment of total economy in Korea
Korea: Economic Outlook No 115 — Potential employment of total economy was 28.27 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Economic Outlook No 115 — Potential employment of total economy in Korea, 1985–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Analysis
The most recent figure for economic outlook no 115 — potential employment of total economy in Korea is 28.27 million, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 41 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 8.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, economic outlook no 115 — potential employment of total economy in Korea peaked at 28.27 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 15.19 million, in 1985.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Economic Outlook No 115 — Potential employment of total economy in Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 15.19 million | — |
| 1986 | 15.65 million | +3.0% |
| 1987 | 16.17 million | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 16.71 million | +3.4% |
| 1989 | 17.26 million | +3.3% |
| 1990 | 17.79 million | +3.1% |
| 1991 | 18.31 million | +2.9% |
| 1992 | 18.82 million | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 19.29 million | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 19.73 million | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 20.13 million | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 20.45 million | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 20.70 million | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 20.88 million | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 21.09 million | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 21.35 million | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 21.67 million | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 21.99 million | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 22.31 million | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 22.60 million | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 22.89 million | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 23.17 million | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 23.46 million | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 23.74 million | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 24.02 million | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 24.33 million | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 24.69 million | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 25.09 million | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 25.48 million | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 25.85 million | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 26.17 million | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 26.44 million | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 26.66 million | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 26.88 million | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 27.09 million | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 27.30 million | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 27.52 million | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 27.75 million | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 27.90 million | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 28.07 million | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 28.27 million | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 16.20 million | 15.19 million | 17.26 million | 5 |
| 1990s | 19.72 million | 17.79 million | 21.09 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.72 million | 21.35 million | 24.02 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.87 million | 24.33 million | 27.09 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.80 million | 27.30 million | 28.27 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Korea
More economy & growth data for Korea
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- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.2 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 16 - Public finances 24.21 Percentage of GDP (2029)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness 0.2301 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — A. 0.0475 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — B. Openess 0.0121 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — C. Trust 0.064 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — D. 0.0485 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — E. Wider 0.058 Index (2024)
- Corporate income tax (CIT) - statutory and targeted small business 27.5 Percentage of taxable income (2026)
Frequently asked questions
- What is economic outlook no 115 — potential employment of total economy in Korea?
- Economic outlook no 115 — potential employment of total economy in Korea was 28.27 million in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest economic outlook no 115 — potential employment of total economy recorded in Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 28.27 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest economic outlook no 115 — potential employment of total economy recorded in Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.19 million in 1985.
- How does Korea rank for economic outlook no 115 — potential employment of total economy?
- Korea ranks 1st out of 3 groups with data for 2025.
- Is economic outlook no 115 — potential employment of total economy rising or falling in Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Economic Outlook No 115 — Potential employment of total economy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
May 2024 - The OECD Economic Outlook presents the OECD’s analysis of the major global economic trends and prospects for the next two years. The Outlook puts forward a consistent set of projections for output, employment, government spending, prices and current balances based on a review of each member country and of the induced effect on each of them on international developments. OECD (2024), OECD Economic Outlook No 115 (Edition 2024/1) EO115 Database documentation EO115 Last historical points gdp inflation cpi population unemployment real gdp gdp per capita employment OECD Economic Outlook website: https://www.oecd.org/economic-outlook/ Contact: eco.outlook@oecd.org Keywords: Outlook, forecasts, forecast, GDP