GDP per capita in South Korea
South Korea: GDP per capita was 56,280 international-$ in 2021 prices in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
56,280 international-$ in 2021 prices
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
24th
of 184 countries
All-time high
56,280 international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2023
All-time low
1,243 international-$ in 2021 prices
in 1953
Years of data
71
1953–2023
GDP per capita in South Korea, 1953–2023
Source: Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in international-$ in 2021 prices.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 56,280 international-$ in 2021 prices for gdp per capita in 2023. That is the highest value across all 71 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 38.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gdp per capita in South Korea peaked at 56,280 international-$ in 2021 prices in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1,243 international-$ in 2021 prices, in 1953.
South Korea ranks 24th of 184 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
GDP per capita in South Korea, year by year
| Year | international-$ in 2021 prices | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 1,243 international-$ in 2021 prices | — |
| 1954 | 1,277 international-$ in 2021 prices | +2.7% |
| 1955 | 1,355 international-$ in 2021 prices | +6.1% |
| 1956 | 1,360 international-$ in 2021 prices | +0.3% |
| 1957 | 1,444 international-$ in 2021 prices | +6.2% |
| 1958 | 1,455 international-$ in 2021 prices | +0.8% |
| 1959 | 1,440 international-$ in 2021 prices | -1.0% |
| 1960 | 1,408 international-$ in 2021 prices | -2.3% |
| 1961 | 1,459 international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.7% |
| 1962 | 1,427 international-$ in 2021 prices | -2.2% |
| 1963 | 1,547 international-$ in 2021 prices | +8.4% |
| 1964 | 1,638 international-$ in 2021 prices | +5.9% |
| 1965 | 1,680 international-$ in 2021 prices | +2.6% |
| 1966 | 1,860 international-$ in 2021 prices | +10.7% |
| 1967 | 1,917 international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.1% |
| 1968 | 2,093 international-$ in 2021 prices | +9.2% |
| 1969 | 2,329 international-$ in 2021 prices | +11.3% |
| 1970 | 2,475 international-$ in 2021 prices | +6.3% |
| 1971 | 2,860 international-$ in 2021 prices | +15.5% |
| 1972 | 3,164 international-$ in 2021 prices | +10.6% |
| 1973 | 3,795 international-$ in 2021 prices | +19.9% |
| 1974 | 4,445 international-$ in 2021 prices | +17.1% |
| 1975 | 5,047 international-$ in 2021 prices | +13.5% |
| 1976 | 5,402 international-$ in 2021 prices | +7.0% |
| 1977 | 5,810 international-$ in 2021 prices | +7.6% |
| 1978 | 6,254 international-$ in 2021 prices | +7.6% |
| 1979 | 6,519 international-$ in 2021 prices | +4.2% |
| 1980 | 6,115 international-$ in 2021 prices | -6.2% |
| 1981 | 6,431 international-$ in 2021 prices | +5.2% |
| 1982 | 6,798 international-$ in 2021 prices | +5.7% |
| 1983 | 7,527 international-$ in 2021 prices | +10.7% |
| 1984 | 8,156 international-$ in 2021 prices | +8.4% |
| 1985 | 8,459 international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.7% |
| 1986 | 9,831 international-$ in 2021 prices | +16.2% |
| 1987 | 11,249 international-$ in 2021 prices | +14.4% |
| 1988 | 12,638 international-$ in 2021 prices | +12.3% |
| 1989 | 13,801 international-$ in 2021 prices | +9.2% |
| 1990 | 15,364 international-$ in 2021 prices | +11.3% |
| 1991 | 17,347 international-$ in 2021 prices | +12.9% |
| 1992 | 18,694 international-$ in 2021 prices | +7.8% |
| 1993 | 20,426 international-$ in 2021 prices | +9.3% |
| 1994 | 22,876 international-$ in 2021 prices | +12.0% |
| 1995 | 25,572 international-$ in 2021 prices | +11.8% |
| 1996 | 28,400 international-$ in 2021 prices | +11.1% |
| 1997 | 27,684 international-$ in 2021 prices | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 24,266 international-$ in 2021 prices | -12.3% |
| 1999 | 26,791 international-$ in 2021 prices | +10.4% |
| 2000 | 28,757 international-$ in 2021 prices | +7.3% |
| 2001 | 29,513 international-$ in 2021 prices | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 31,800 international-$ in 2021 prices | +7.8% |
| 2003 | 32,920 international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.5% |
| 2004 | 34,871 international-$ in 2021 prices | +5.9% |
| 2005 | 37,553 international-$ in 2021 prices | +7.7% |
| 2006 | 38,814 international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.4% |
| 2007 | 40,981 international-$ in 2021 prices | +5.6% |
| 2008 | 41,050 international-$ in 2021 prices | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 39,557 international-$ in 2021 prices | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 42,343 international-$ in 2021 prices | +7.0% |
| 2011 | 42,158 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 42,037 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 40,766 international-$ in 2021 prices | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 42,466 international-$ in 2021 prices | +4.2% |
| 2015 | 44,755 international-$ in 2021 prices | +5.4% |
| 2016 | 46,046 international-$ in 2021 prices | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 47,557 international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 49,116 international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 50,970 international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 51,392 international-$ in 2021 prices | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 53,926 international-$ in 2021 prices | +4.9% |
| 2022 | 55,410 international-$ in 2021 prices | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 56,280 international-$ in 2021 prices | +1.6% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 56,280 international-$ in 2021 prices is above the median for high income countries, which is 45,556 international-$ in 2021 prices, 1.2× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 56,280 international-$ in 2021 prices is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 23,029 international-$ in 2021 prices, 2.4× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1,368 international-$ in 2021 prices | 1,243 international-$ in 2021 prices | 1,455 international-$ in 2021 prices | 7 |
| 1960s | 1,736 international-$ in 2021 prices | 1,408 international-$ in 2021 prices | 2,329 international-$ in 2021 prices | 10 |
| 1970s | 4,577 international-$ in 2021 prices | 2,475 international-$ in 2021 prices | 6,519 international-$ in 2021 prices | 10 |
| 1980s | 9,100 international-$ in 2021 prices | 6,115 international-$ in 2021 prices | 13,801 international-$ in 2021 prices | 10 |
| 1990s | 22,742 international-$ in 2021 prices | 15,364 international-$ in 2021 prices | 28,400 international-$ in 2021 prices | 10 |
| 2000s | 35,582 international-$ in 2021 prices | 28,757 international-$ in 2021 prices | 41,050 international-$ in 2021 prices | 10 |
| 2010s | 44,821 international-$ in 2021 prices | 40,766 international-$ in 2021 prices | 50,970 international-$ in 2021 prices | 10 |
| 2020s | 54,252 international-$ in 2021 prices | 51,392 international-$ in 2021 prices | 56,280 international-$ in 2021 prices | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 21 Saudi Arabia 59,042 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 22 Hong Kong 58,703 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 23 Belgium 58,123 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 25 Canada 55,101 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 26 Kuwait 54,996 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 27 Bahrain 53,814 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
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 gdp per capita in South Korea?
- Gdp per capita in South Korea was 56,280 international-$ in 2021 prices in 2023, according to Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gdp per capita recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 56,280 international-$ in 2021 prices in 2023.
- What is the lowest gdp per capita recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,243 international-$ in 2021 prices in 1953.
- How does South Korea rank for gdp per capita?
- South Korea ranks 24th out of 184 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gdp per capita rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 38.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 71 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average economic output per person in a country or region per year. This data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.