Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in South Korea
South Korea: Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) was 33.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in South Korea, 1960–2025
Source: International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 33.7% for value of imported goods as a share of gdp in 2025.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 19.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, value of imported goods as a share of gdp in South Korea peaked at 40.3% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 6.1%, in 1960.
That places South Korea 87th out of 201 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.1% | — |
| 1961 | 10.7% | +75.8% |
| 1962 | 13.4% | +25.2% |
| 1963 | 12.8% | -4.5% |
| 1964 | 10.3% | -19.5% |
| 1965 | 13.2% | +27.3% |
| 1966 | 17.1% | +30.0% |
| 1967 | 19.0% | +11.3% |
| 1968 | 22.3% | +17.3% |
| 1969 | 22.3% | -0.3% |
| 1970 | 20.8% | -6.6% |
| 1971 | 22.8% | +9.5% |
| 1972 | 21.7% | -4.7% |
| 1973 | 28.6% | +31.5% |
| 1974 | 31.9% | +11.8% |
| 1975 | 30.8% | -3.5% |
| 1976 | 27.5% | -10.6% |
| 1977 | 26.6% | -3.3% |
| 1978 | 27.2% | +2.1% |
| 1979 | 28.1% | +3.1% |
| 1980 | 31.0% | +10.5% |
| 1981 | 32.5% | +4.7% |
| 1982 | 27.9% | -14.2% |
| 1983 | 27.0% | -3.3% |
| 1984 | 28.0% | +3.9% |
| 1985 | 26.8% | -4.2% |
| 1986 | 23.9% | -11.1% |
| 1987 | 24.1% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 22.6% | -6.4% |
| 1989 | 21.1% | -6.8% |
| 1990 | 22.1% | +5.2% |
| 1991 | 23.5% | +6.3% |
| 1992 | 21.9% | -7.0% |
| 1993 | 20.5% | -6.4% |
| 1994 | 21.1% | +3.0% |
| 1995 | 22.8% | +7.8% |
| 1996 | 23.5% | +3.2% |
| 1997 | 24.4% | +4.0% |
| 1998 | 23.5% | -3.8% |
| 1999 | 23.2% | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 26.8% | +15.7% |
| 2001 | 24.8% | -7.5% |
| 2002 | 23.3% | -6.3% |
| 2003 | 24.5% | +5.4% |
| 2004 | 27.3% | +11.1% |
| 2005 | 26.9% | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 28.2% | +5.1% |
| 2007 | 29.2% | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 39.9% | +36.4% |
| 2009 | 32.9% | -17.6% |
| 2010 | 35.6% | +8.5% |
| 2011 | 40.1% | +12.5% |
| 2012 | 38.9% | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 35.9% | -7.7% |
| 2014 | 33.8% | -6.0% |
| 2015 | 28.3% | -16.1% |
| 2016 | 25.7% | -9.4% |
| 2017 | 27.6% | +7.4% |
| 2018 | 29.2% | +5.8% |
| 2019 | 28.6% | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 26.6% | -6.8% |
| 2021 | 31.5% | +18.2% |
| 2022 | 40.3% | +27.9% |
| 2023 | 34.7% | -13.8% |
| 2024 | 33.7% | -3.0% |
| 2025 | 33.7% | +0.2% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 33.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 30.4%, 1.1× the median. (73 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 33.7% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 42.4%, 80% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) 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 | +75.8% | 6.1% | 10.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 14.7% | 6.1% | 22.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 26.6% | 20.8% | 31.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 26.5% | 21.1% | 32.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.6% | 20.5% | 24.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.4% | 23.3% | 39.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.4% | 25.7% | 40.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.4% | 26.6% | 40.3% | 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 value of imported goods as a share of gdp in South Korea?
- Value of imported goods as a share of gdp in South Korea was 33.7% in 2025, according to International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 40.3% in 2022.
- What is the lowest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.1% in 1960.
- How does South Korea rank for value of imported goods as a share of gdp?
- South Korea ranks 87th out of 201 countries with data for 2025.
- Is value of imported goods as a share of gdp rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Value of imported goods as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Value of a country’s total goods imports, including freight and insurance costs, as a percentage of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).