Trade as a share of GDP in South Korea
South Korea: Trade as a share of GDP was 86.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
86.4%
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
89th
of 191 countries
All-time high
101.7%
in 2011
All-time low
14.6%
in 1960
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Trade as a share of GDP in South Korea, 1960–2025
Source: National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for trade as a share of gdp in South Korea is 86.4%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade as a share of gdp in South Korea peaked at 101.7% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 14.6%, in 1960.
South Korea ranks 89th of 191 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.
Trade as a share of GDP in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 14.6% | — |
| 1961 | 17.9% | +23.2% |
| 1962 | 19.4% | +8.2% |
| 1963 | 18.5% | -4.5% |
| 1964 | 17.3% | -6.8% |
| 1965 | 21.3% | +23.5% |
| 1966 | 26.5% | +24.2% |
| 1967 | 28.6% | +7.9% |
| 1968 | 32.5% | +13.9% |
| 1969 | 32.8% | +0.8% |
| 1970 | 32.2% | -1.6% |
| 1971 | 35.3% | +9.5% |
| 1972 | 37.5% | +6.3% |
| 1973 | 50.8% | +35.4% |
| 1974 | 54.6% | +7.4% |
| 1975 | 53.0% | -2.8% |
| 1976 | 53.0% | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 53.0% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 53.3% | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 53.5% | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 64.2% | +20.0% |
| 1981 | 65.7% | +2.3% |
| 1982 | 59.0% | -10.3% |
| 1983 | 56.6% | -4.0% |
| 1984 | 56.0% | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 51.3% | -8.3% |
| 1986 | 58.4% | +13.8% |
| 1987 | 61.1% | +4.6% |
| 1988 | 56.9% | -6.8% |
| 1989 | 51.3% | -9.8% |
| 1990 | 49.2% | -4.2% |
| 1991 | 48.3% | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 47.2% | -2.2% |
| 1993 | 45.4% | -3.8% |
| 1994 | 47.7% | +5.1% |
| 1995 | 51.4% | +7.7% |
| 1996 | 51.6% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 55.9% | +8.3% |
| 1998 | 66.3% | +18.7% |
| 1999 | 57.9% | -12.7% |
| 2000 | 64.1% | +10.6% |
| 2001 | 60.4% | -5.7% |
| 2002 | 56.7% | -6.2% |
| 2003 | 59.4% | +4.9% |
| 2004 | 67.9% | +14.3% |
| 2005 | 66.2% | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 68.4% | +3.3% |
| 2007 | 71.3% | +4.3% |
| 2008 | 92.1% | +29.1% |
| 2009 | 83.1% | -9.7% |
| 2010 | 88.0% | +5.9% |
| 2011 | 101.7% | +15.5% |
| 2012 | 101.5% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 94.2% | -7.2% |
| 2014 | 86.9% | -7.7% |
| 2015 | 75.4% | -13.3% |
| 2016 | 69.9% | -7.3% |
| 2017 | 73.2% | +4.7% |
| 2018 | 74.7% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 71.4% | -4.4% |
| 2020 | 65.5% | -8.3% |
| 2021 | 75.3% | +14.9% |
| 2022 | 90.6% | +20.3% |
| 2023 | 82.3% | -9.2% |
| 2024 | 84.6% | +2.9% |
| 2025 | 86.4% | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 22.9% | 14.6% | 32.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 47.6% | 32.2% | 54.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 58.1% | 51.3% | 65.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.1% | 45.4% | 66.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 69.0% | 56.7% | 92.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 83.7% | 69.9% | 101.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 80.8% | 65.5% | 90.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 86 El Salvador 88.2% compare
- 87 Democratic Republic of Congo 87.3% compare
- 88 Portugal 86.4% compare
- 90 Gabon 84.9% compare
- 91 Afghanistan 83.8% compare
- 92 Panama 83.7% compare
More economy & growth data for South Korea
- GDP (current US$), annual growth rate -0.161 % change on previous year (2025)
- GDP (current US$), per capita 36,227 current US$ per person (2025)
- GDP (current LCU), annual growth rate 4.16 % change on previous year (2025)
- GDP (current LCU), per unit of GDP 1,422 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GDP (current LCU), per capita 51.53 million current LCU per person (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 1.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 1.03 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), per capita 37,470 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- GDP (constant LCU), annual growth rate 1.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- GDP (constant LCU), per unit of GDP 1,237 constant LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade as a share of gdp in South Korea?
- Trade as a share of gdp in South Korea was 86.4% in 2025, according to National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest trade as a share of gdp recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 101.7% in 2011.
- What is the lowest trade as a share of gdp recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.6% in 1960.
- How does South Korea rank for trade as a share of gdp?
- South Korea ranks 89th out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is trade as a share of gdp rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Trade as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Trade in goods and services as a share of GDP, shown as a percentage.