Productivity and unit labour costs — GDP per person employed in Korea

Korea: Productivity and unit labour costs — GDP per person employed was 115.06 Index in 2026. ▲ Rising

Latest (2026)
115.06 Index
Change on year
down 4.3%
Rank
1st
of 2 groups
All-time high
120.28 Index
in 2025
All-time low
23.35 Index
in 1982
Years of data
45
1982–2026

Productivity and unit labour costs — GDP per person employed in Korea, 1982–2026

204060801001201982200420261982: 23.4 Index1983: 25.5 Index1984: 27 Index1985: 28.6 Index1986: 30.5 Index1987: 32.3 Index1988: 35.3 Index1989: 36.6 Index1990: 38.6 Index1991: 41.1 Index1992: 42.4 Index1993: 44.7 Index1994: 48.1 Index1995: 50.5 Index1996: 53 Index1997: 55 Index1998: 56.5 Index1999: 60.8 Index2000: 69.6 Index2001: 71.8 Index2002: 76 Index2003: 79 Index2004: 80.2 Index2005: 83.8 Index2006: 86.3 Index2007: 90.9 Index2008: 89 Index2009: 93.9 Index2010: 98.1 Index2011: 98.5 Index2012: 99.9 Index2013: 101.6 Index2014: 102.5 Index2015: 104.9 Index2016: 106.9 Index2017: 109.2 Index2018: 112.7 Index2019: 114 Index2020: 115.3 Index2021: 117.4 Index2022: 116.2 Index2023: 117.4 Index2024: 119.3 Index2025: 120.3 Index2026: 115.1 Index

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Index.

Analysis

The most recent figure for productivity and unit labour costs — gdp per person employed in Korea is 115.06 Index, measured in 2026.

That represents a change of down 4.3% on the previous year and up 7.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, productivity and unit labour costs — gdp per person employed in Korea peaked at 120.28 Index in 2025 and was at its lowest, 23.35 Index, in 1982.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.

Productivity and unit labour costs — GDP per person employed in Korea, year by year

Annual values for Productivity and unit labour costs — GDP per person employed in Korea, 1982 to 2026.
Year Index Change
1982 23.35 Index
1983 25.5 Index +9.2%
1984 26.98 Index +5.8%
1985 28.59 Index +6.0%
1986 30.52 Index +6.8%
1987 32.34 Index +6.0%
1988 35.32 Index +9.2%
1989 36.63 Index +3.7%
1990 38.6 Index +5.4%
1991 41.12 Index +6.5%
1992 42.37 Index +3.0%
1993 44.72 Index +5.5%
1994 48.07 Index +7.5%
1995 50.47 Index +5.0%
1996 52.95 Index +4.9%
1997 54.99 Index +3.8%
1998 56.51 Index +2.8%
1999 60.79 Index +7.6%
2000 69.64 Index +14.5%
2001 71.79 Index +3.1%
2002 76.04 Index +5.9%
2003 79.03 Index +3.9%
2004 80.15 Index +1.4%
2005 83.82 Index +4.6%
2006 86.34 Index +3.0%
2007 90.86 Index +5.2%
2008 89 Index -2.1%
2009 93.89 Index +5.5%
2010 98.11 Index +4.5%
2011 98.47 Index +0.4%
2012 99.92 Index +1.5%
2013 101.63 Index +1.7%
2014 102.47 Index +0.8%
2015 104.94 Index +2.4%
2016 106.89 Index +1.9%
2017 109.2 Index +2.2%
2018 112.7 Index +3.2%
2019 114.01 Index +1.2%
2020 115.32 Index +1.2%
2021 117.42 Index +1.8%
2022 116.2 Index -1.0%
2023 117.36 Index +1.0%
2024 119.25 Index +1.6%
2025 120.28 Index +0.9%
2026 115.06 Index -4.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 29.9 Index 23.35 Index 36.63 Index 8
1990s 49.06 Index 38.6 Index 60.79 Index 10
2000s 82.06 Index 69.64 Index 93.89 Index 10
2010s 104.83 Index 98.11 Index 114.01 Index 10
2020s 117.27 Index 115.06 Index 120.28 Index 7

Countries ranked near Korea

  1. 1 Poland 124.96 Index compare
  2. 1 Costa Rica 125.87 Index compare
  3. 2 Israel 118.11 Index compare
  4. 2 Türkiye 121.37 Index compare
  5. 3 Ireland 117.05 Index compare
  6. 3 Lithuania 118.14 Index compare
  7. 4 Latvia 111.2 Index compare
  8. 4 Switzerland 111.21 Index compare

See the full ranking of 33 places →

More economy & growth data for Korea

All data for Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is productivity and unit labour costs — gdp per person employed in Korea?
Productivity and unit labour costs — gdp per person employed in Korea was 115.06 Index in 2026, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest productivity and unit labour costs — gdp per person employed recorded in Korea?
The highest recorded value was 120.28 Index in 2025.
What is the lowest productivity and unit labour costs — gdp per person employed recorded in Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 23.35 Index in 1982.
How does Korea rank for productivity and unit labour costs — gdp per person employed?
Korea ranks 1st out of 2 groups with data for 2026.
Is productivity and unit labour costs — gdp per person employed rising or falling in Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.6%. 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 Productivity and unit labour costs — GDP per person employed. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Productivity and unit labour costs — GDP per person employed in Korea. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/productivity-and-unit-labour-costs-gdp-per-person-employed/korea/

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About this data

Indicator
Productivity and unit labour costs — GDP per person employed
Unit
Index
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
33 places, 1,159 data points, 1964–2026
Last refreshed

The OECD Productivity Database aims at providing users with the most comprehensive and the latest productivity estimates. The update cycle is on a rolling basis: each variable in the dataset is made publicly available as soon as it is updated in the sources databases. The productivity database contains data on labour productivity both measured using employment or hours worked and the compenents of capital and labour inputs. The productivity database in levels, in growth rates and by industry contains annual data, while the database on productivity and unit labour costs are quarterly estimates. Further information for all datasets and the methodology may be found in the attached file OECD-Productivity-Statistics-Database-metadata