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US vs South Korea Inflation
United States moved above South Korea in 1973. In 1960 South Korea stood at roughly 546% of United States’s Inflation; today the figure is about 72%, and the pair was closest in 2012 (106%).
| Year | United States | South Korea | South Korea as % of US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1.46% | 7.97% | 546% |
| 1970 | 5.84% | 15.95% | 273% |
| 1980 | 13.55% | 28.7% | 212% |
| 1990 | 5.4% | 8.57% | 159% |
| 2000 | 3.38% | 2.26% | 67% |
| 2010 | 1.64% | 2.94% | 179% |
| 2020 | 1.23% | 0.54% | 44% |
| 2024 | 2.95% | 2.32% | 79% |
Frequently asked questions
When did United States move above South Korea in Inflation?
In 1973. United States’s published Inflation rose above South Korea’s that year.
How do United States and Korea, Rep. compare today?
United States is ahead: 2.95% against 2.12% — the trailing economy stands at about 72% of the leader.
Are these Inflation figures nominal or adjusted?
The series is a share expressed in annual %, exactly as the World Bank publishes it; movements are percentage points, not percent.
Full series
Every published year for both economies, with charts, downloads and citations: