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US vs South Korea GDP per capita
United States has held the lead throughout the published window. In 1960 South Korea stood at roughly 5% of United States’s GDP per capita; today the figure is about 40%, and the pair was closest in 2018 (56%).
| Year | United States | South Korea | South Korea as % of US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2,999.86 | 158.84 | 5% |
| 1970 | 5,234.3 | 281.79 | 5% |
| 1980 | 12,574.79 | 1,745.58 | 14% |
| 1990 | 23,888.6 | 6,812.9 | 29% |
| 2000 | 36,329.97 | 12,710.3 | 35% |
| 2010 | 48,642.63 | 24,071.26 | 49% |
| 2020 | 64,465.3 | 33,645.77 | 52% |
| 2025 | 90,026.52 | 36,226.97 | 40% |
Frequently asked questions
When did United States pass South Korea in GDP per capita?
It has not come to that. United States has posted the larger GDP per capita in every published year (1960–2025).
How do United States and Korea, Rep. compare today?
United States is ahead: 90,026.52 against 36,226.97 — the trailing economy stands at about 40% of the leader.
Are these GDP per capita figures nominal or adjusted?
They are exactly as the World Bank publishes them — current US$ — with no inflation restatement, no PPP conversion and no interpolation for missing years.
Full series
Every published year for both economies, with charts, downloads and citations: