Korea, Rep. — GDP per capita
GDP per Capita (Nominal) for Korea, Rep., 1960–2025.
GDP per capita for Korea, Rep. was 36,227 in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 66 years, from 1960 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 37,518 in 2021. The lowest was 94 in 1961 (about 384.6× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 8.71% per year.
Korea, Rep. ranks 47 of 212 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 22%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 8,489, so Korea, Rep. sits above it. It peaked in 2021 and has fallen 3% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 20%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 7 of 36 economies; Japan (35,951) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 41% in 1961. That is 6% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1960 level: doubled by 1972; grown tenfold by 1979. Doubling roughly every 8.3 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 73rd of 111 in 1960 → 94th of 146 in 1970 → 77th of 163 in 1980 → 53rd of 192 in 1990 → 47th of 204 in 2000 → 49th of 212 in 2010 → 38th of 210 in 2020 → 32nd of 186 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1960 to 2025
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 36,226.97 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 36,238.64 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 35,674.1 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 34,822.4 | -7.2% |
| 2021 | 37,518.46 | +11.5% |
| 2020 | 33,645.77 | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 33,826.94 | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 35,363.95 | +6.2% |
| 2017 | 33,296.98 | +8.0% |
| 2016 | 30,832.06 | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 30,171.79 | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 30,667.09 | +7.8% |
| 2013 | 28,449.36 | +7.0% |
| 2012 | 26,600.55 | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 26,175.24 | +8.7% |
| 2010 | 24,071.26 | +20.7% |
| 2009 | 19,937.3 | -10.4% |
| 2008 | 22,252.31 | -11.3% |
| 2007 | 25,078.49 | +10.9% |
| 2006 | 22,609.71 | +12.1% |
| 2005 | 20,167.05 | +17.8% |
| 2004 | 17,121.63 | +12.6% |
| 2003 | 15,211.55 | +11.5% |
| 2002 | 13,642.94 | +13.9% |
| 2001 | 11,981.48 | -5.7% |
| 2000 | 12,710.3 | +14.9% |
| 1999 | 11,062.5 | +28.9% |
| 1998 | 8,583.44 | -33.1% |
| 1997 | 12,821.69 | -7.5% |
| 1996 | 13,864.94 | +6.6% |
| 1995 | 13,001.72 | +21.1% |
| 1994 | 10,733.99 | +16.9% |
| 1993 | 9,179.97 | +9.5% |
| 1992 | 8,387.16 | +6.5% |
| 1991 | 7,872.65 | +15.6% |
| 1990 | 6,812.9 | +13.8% |
| 1989 | 5,989.21 | +22.5% |
| 1988 | 4,888.69 | +33.7% |
| 1987 | 3,657.72 | +25.7% |
| 1986 | 2,910.83 | +14.5% |
| 1985 | 2,542.88 | +3.0% |
| 1984 | 2,468.69 | +9.9% |
| 1983 | 2,245.56 | +10.5% |
| 1982 | 2,032.26 | +5.9% |
| 1981 | 1,918.42 | +9.9% |
| 1980 | 1,745.58 | -3.8% |
| 1979 | 1,813.91 | +26.9% |
| 1978 | 1,428.89 | +33.2% |
| 1977 | 1,072.85 | +26.6% |
| 1976 | 847.21 | +35.1% |
| 1975 | 627.14 | +9.5% |
| 1974 | 572.49 | +38.8% |
| 1973 | 412.5 | +25.8% |
| 1972 | 328.02 | +7.8% |
| 1971 | 304.27 | +8.0% |
| 1970 | 281.79 | +14.8% |
| 1969 | 245.49 | +22.8% |
| 1968 | 199.98 | +23.1% |
| 1967 | 162.46 | +20.8% |
| 1966 | 134.43 | +22.8% |
| 1965 | 109.43 | -11.9% |
| 1964 | 124.24 | -15.5% |
| 1963 | 147.01 | +37.9% |
| 1962 | 106.62 | +13.2% |
| 1961 | 94.2 | -40.7% |
| 1960 | 158.84 | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Korea, Rep.’s GDP per capita in 1961?
94.2 (1961). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are Korea, Rep.’s GDP per capita figures nominal or inflation-adjusted?
They are exactly as the World Bank publishes them — current US$ — with no inflation restatement and no PPP conversion. Years the source does not report are omitted rather than interpolated.
Is Korea, Rep.’s GDP per capita growing or shrinking?
Between 1960 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +22706.6% in total — about 8.7% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator NY.GDP.PCAP.CD. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 36,226.97; 2024: 36,238.64; 2023: 35,674.1; 2022: 34,822.4; 2021: 37,518.46. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
NY.GDP.PCAP.CD — GDP per Capita (Nominal). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.