Gross domestic savings (% of GDP) in South Korea
South Korea: Gross domestic savings (% of GDP) was 34.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Gross domestic savings in South Korea, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 34.3% for gross domestic savings in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and down 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross domestic savings in South Korea peaked at 41.7% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 1960.
That places South Korea 28th out of 188 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Gross domestic savings (% of GDP) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1.0% | — |
| 1961 | 3.1% | +224.3% |
| 1962 | 3.5% | +13.1% |
| 1963 | 9.1% | +159.2% |
| 1964 | 9.2% | +1.3% |
| 1965 | 7.8% | -15.0% |
| 1966 | 12.0% | +53.0% |
| 1967 | 11.3% | -5.9% |
| 1968 | 14.6% | +29.6% |
| 1969 | 18.1% | +24.1% |
| 1970 | 16.6% | -8.1% |
| 1971 | 14.7% | -11.4% |
| 1972 | 17.1% | +16.1% |
| 1973 | 22.8% | +33.2% |
| 1974 | 22.1% | -3.2% |
| 1975 | 20.2% | -8.4% |
| 1976 | 25.1% | +24.2% |
| 1977 | 28.5% | +13.4% |
| 1978 | 30.6% | +7.5% |
| 1979 | 30.4% | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 25.8% | -15.2% |
| 1981 | 25.7% | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 27.3% | +6.0% |
| 1983 | 31.0% | +13.9% |
| 1984 | 33.6% | +8.2% |
| 1985 | 34.1% | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 37.1% | +8.8% |
| 1987 | 39.9% | +7.4% |
| 1988 | 41.7% | +4.5% |
| 1989 | 39.1% | -6.2% |
| 1990 | 39.3% | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 39.4% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 38.5% | -2.3% |
| 1993 | 38.5% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 38.2% | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 38.2% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 36.4% | -4.5% |
| 1997 | 36.4% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 38.4% | +5.4% |
| 1999 | 36.5% | -4.9% |
| 2000 | 34.8% | -4.6% |
| 2001 | 33.2% | -4.7% |
| 2002 | 32.4% | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 33.9% | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 36.1% | +6.5% |
| 2005 | 34.9% | -3.3% |
| 2006 | 33.6% | -3.7% |
| 2007 | 34.0% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 33.3% | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 33.5% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 35.3% | +5.3% |
| 2011 | 34.1% | -3.3% |
| 2012 | 33.7% | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 34.2% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 34.4% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 35.9% | +4.2% |
| 2016 | 36.3% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 36.5% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 35.4% | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 33.8% | -4.6% |
| 2020 | 35.2% | +4.1% |
| 2021 | 35.9% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 33.3% | -7.1% |
| 2023 | 32.3% | -3.2% |
| 2024 | 34.0% | +5.4% |
| 2025 | 34.3% | +0.9% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 34.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 25.7%, 1.3× the median. (67 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 34.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 22.0%, 1.6× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Gross domestic savings (% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | +224.3% | 1.0% | 3.1% |
| 1963 | +159.2% | 3.5% | 9.1% |
| 1966 | +53.0% | 7.8% | 12.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9.0% | 1.0% | 18.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 22.8% | 14.7% | 30.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 33.5% | 25.7% | 41.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 38.0% | 36.4% | 39.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 34.0% | 32.4% | 36.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.0% | 33.7% | 36.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.2% | 32.3% | 35.9% | 6 |
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 gross domestic savings in South Korea?
- Gross domestic savings in South Korea was 34.3% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest gross domestic savings recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 41.7% in 1988.
- What is the lowest gross domestic savings recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 1960.
- How does South Korea rank for gross domestic savings?
- South Korea ranks 28th out of 188 countries with data for 2025.
- Is gross domestic savings rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of Gross domestic savings (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Gross domestic savings are calculated as GDP less final consumption expenditure (total consumption). This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.