Services, value added (% of GDP) in South Korea
South Korea: Services, value added (% of GDP) was 57.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Services, value added in South Korea, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 57.2% for services, value added in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and up 3.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, services, value added in South Korea peaked at 58.9% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 30.2%, in 1964.
South Korea ranks 106th of 206 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Services, value added (% of GDP) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 39.3% | — |
| 1961 | 37.8% | -3.9% |
| 1962 | 38.6% | +2.3% |
| 1963 | 33.6% | -13.1% |
| 1964 | 30.2% | -10.0% |
| 1965 | 34.2% | +13.2% |
| 1966 | 36.5% | +6.9% |
| 1967 | 39.6% | +8.5% |
| 1968 | 39.7% | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 39.8% | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 40.4% | +1.7% |
| 1971 | 41.7% | +3.1% |
| 1972 | 42.0% | +0.7% |
| 1973 | 41.2% | -2.0% |
| 1974 | 41.8% | +1.4% |
| 1975 | 40.5% | -3.1% |
| 1976 | 40.0% | -1.0% |
| 1977 | 40.2% | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 39.9% | -0.7% |
| 1979 | 40.1% | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 43.7% | +9.0% |
| 1981 | 43.9% | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 44.5% | +1.4% |
| 1983 | 43.9% | -1.4% |
| 1984 | 43.9% | -0.0% |
| 1985 | 45.0% | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 45.6% | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 45.9% | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 45.6% | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 47.0% | +3.3% |
| 1990 | 47.2% | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 47.8% | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 49.1% | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 49.7% | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 49.7% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 49.7% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 50.7% | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 51.3% | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 52.9% | +3.1% |
| 1999 | 52.5% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 52.5% | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 53.7% | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 54.2% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 54.5% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 53.7% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 54.4% | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 55.2% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 55.5% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 56.6% | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 56.3% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 54.9% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 54.7% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 55.0% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 54.9% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 55.2% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 55.1% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 55.0% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 54.6% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 55.4% | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 56.9% | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 56.9% | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 56.9% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 58.1% | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 58.9% | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 57.5% | -2.4% |
| 2025 | 57.2% | -0.5% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 57.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 66.2%, 87% of the median. (77 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 57.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 60.2%, 95% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 36.9% | 30.2% | 39.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 40.8% | 39.9% | 42.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 44.9% | 43.7% | 47.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 50.1% | 47.2% | 52.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.6% | 52.5% | 56.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.2% | 54.6% | 56.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.6% | 56.9% | 58.9% | 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 services, value added in South Korea?
- Services, value added in South Korea was 57.2% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs).
- What is the highest services, value added recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 58.9% in 2023.
- What is the lowest services, value added recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.2% in 1964.
- How does South Korea rank for services, value added?
- South Korea ranks 106th out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is services, value added rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.8%. 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 Offices (NSOs), published as part of Services, value added (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Services industries correspond to ISIC (Rev. 4) divisions 45-99 and includes wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, hotels and restaurants, transport, storage and communication, financial intermediation, real estate, renting and business activities, public administration and defence, compulsory social security, education, health and social work, other community, social and personal service activities, private households with employed persons, and extra-territorial organizations and bodies. Value added is the contribution to the economy by a producer or an industry or an institutional sector, which is estimated by the total value of output produced and deducting the total value of intermediate consumption of goods and services used to produce that output. 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.