Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in South Korea
South Korea: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) was 0.8% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in South Korea, 1970–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for foreign direct investment, net inflows in South Korea is 0.8%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 23.1% on the previous year and up 216.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in South Korea peaked at 4.5% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1974.
That places South Korea 150th out of 201 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.7% | — |
| 1971 | 0.4% | -42.2% |
| 1972 | 4.5% | +975.1% |
| 1973 | 0.0% | -99.4% |
| 1974 | 0.0% | -64.6% |
| 1975 | 0.0% | +169.3% |
| 1976 | 0.3% | +883.5% |
| 1977 | 0.2% | -9.8% |
| 1978 | 0.2% | -30.0% |
| 1979 | 0.3% | +49.9% |
| 1980 | 0.1% | -72.0% |
| 1981 | 0.2% | +195.0% |
| 1982 | 0.2% | -27.5% |
| 1983 | 0.2% | +35.9% |
| 1984 | 0.2% | +8.9% |
| 1985 | 0.3% | +53.0% |
| 1986 | 0.6% | +66.1% |
| 1987 | 0.6% | -3.2% |
| 1988 | 0.6% | +14.2% |
| 1989 | 0.5% | -13.1% |
| 1990 | 0.4% | -34.5% |
| 1991 | 0.4% | +19.3% |
| 1992 | 0.3% | -36.1% |
| 1993 | 0.2% | -24.8% |
| 1994 | 0.2% | +15.6% |
| 1995 | 0.4% | +78.8% |
| 1996 | 0.4% | +3.9% |
| 1997 | 0.6% | +27.1% |
| 1998 | 1.5% | +169.1% |
| 1999 | 2.1% | +38.0% |
| 2000 | 1.9% | -7.4% |
| 2001 | 1.1% | -40.3% |
| 2002 | 0.8% | -26.7% |
| 2003 | 1.0% | +14.2% |
| 2004 | 1.6% | +67.8% |
| 2005 | 1.4% | -13.1% |
| 2006 | 0.8% | -40.4% |
| 2007 | 0.7% | -13.6% |
| 2008 | 1.0% | +41.8% |
| 2009 | 0.9% | -10.5% |
| 2010 | 0.8% | -13.2% |
| 2011 | 0.7% | -6.1% |
| 2012 | 0.7% | -4.9% |
| 2013 | 0.9% | +25.1% |
| 2014 | 0.6% | -33.0% |
| 2015 | 0.3% | -55.3% |
| 2016 | 0.8% | +187.5% |
| 2017 | 1.0% | +36.6% |
| 2018 | 0.7% | -36.2% |
| 2019 | 0.6% | -17.6% |
| 2020 | 0.5% | -8.7% |
| 2021 | 1.1% | +126.0% |
| 2022 | 1.4% | +22.5% |
| 2023 | 1.0% | -25.8% |
| 2024 | 0.7% | -33.6% |
| 2025 | 0.8% | +23.1% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 0.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 2.1%, 40% of the median. (72 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 0.8% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.1%, 39% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | +975.1% | 0.4% | 4.5% |
| 1976 | +883.5% | 0.0% | 0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.7% | 0.0% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.7% | 0.2% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.1% | 0.7% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7% | 0.3% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9% | 0.5% | 1.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More economy & growth data for South Korea
- 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)
- IMF holdings of currency, SDR, annual growth rate -0.4147 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in South Korea?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in South Korea was 0.8% in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 4.5% in 1972.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1974.
- How does South Korea rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- South Korea ranks 150th out of 201 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 216.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Foreign direct investment is the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest (10 percent or more of voting stock) in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in the balance of payments. This series shows net inflows (new investment inflows less disinvestment) in the reporting economy from foreign investors, and is divided by GDP.