Korea, Rep. — Inflation
Inflation, Consumer Prices (Annual %) for Korea, Rep., 1960–2025.
Inflation for Korea, Rep. was 2.12% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 66 years, from 1960 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 29.46% in 1964. The lowest was 0.38% in 2019 (about 5.5× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -2.01% per year.
Korea, Rep. ranks 126 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 67%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 2.21%, so Korea, Rep. sits below it. It peaked in 1964 and has fallen 93% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 201%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 15 of 28 economies; Indonesia (1.91%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 655% in 1974. That is 8% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1960 level: doubled by 1963.
World ranking. Slipped: 7th of 63 in 1960 → 2nd of 92 in 1970 → 13th of 106 in 1980 → 62nd of 131 in 1990 → 111th of 163 in 2000 → 102nd of 186 in 2010 → 130th of 178 in 2020 → 110th of 169 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1960 to 2025
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.12% | -0.2 pp |
| 2024 | 2.32% | -1.3 pp |
| 2023 | 3.6% | -1.5 pp |
| 2022 | 5.09% | +2.6 pp |
| 2021 | 2.5% | +2.0 pp |
| 2020 | 0.54% | +0.2 pp |
| 2019 | 0.38% | -1.1 pp |
| 2018 | 1.48% | -0.5 pp |
| 2017 | 1.94% | +1.0 pp |
| 2016 | 0.97% | +0.3 pp |
| 2015 | 0.71% | -0.6 pp |
| 2014 | 1.27% | -0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 1.3% | -0.9 pp |
| 2012 | 2.19% | -1.8 pp |
| 2011 | 4.03% | +1.1 pp |
| 2010 | 2.94% | +0.2 pp |
| 2009 | 2.76% | -1.9 pp |
| 2008 | 4.67% | +2.1 pp |
| 2007 | 2.53% | +0.3 pp |
| 2006 | 2.24% | -0.5 pp |
| 2005 | 2.75% | -0.8 pp |
| 2004 | 3.59% | +0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 3.51% | +0.8 pp |
| 2002 | 2.76% | -1.3 pp |
| 2001 | 4.07% | +1.8 pp |
| 2000 | 2.26% | +1.4 pp |
| 1999 | 0.81% | -6.7 pp |
| 1998 | 7.51% | +3.1 pp |
| 1997 | 4.44% | -0.5 pp |
| 1996 | 4.92% | +0.4 pp |
| 1995 | 4.48% | -1.8 pp |
| 1994 | 6.27% | +1.5 pp |
| 1993 | 4.8% | -1.4 pp |
| 1992 | 6.21% | -3.1 pp |
| 1991 | 9.33% | +0.8 pp |
| 1990 | 8.57% | +2.9 pp |
| 1989 | 5.7% | -1.4 pp |
| 1988 | 7.15% | +4.1 pp |
| 1987 | 3.05% | +0.3 pp |
| 1986 | 2.75% | +0.3 pp |
| 1985 | 2.46% | +0.2 pp |
| 1984 | 2.27% | -1.1 pp |
| 1983 | 3.42% | -3.8 pp |
| 1982 | 7.19% | -14.2 pp |
| 1981 | 21.35% | -7.3 pp |
| 1980 | 28.7% | +10.4 pp |
| 1979 | 18.32% | +3.9 pp |
| 1978 | 14.46% | +4.4 pp |
| 1977 | 10.1% | -5.2 pp |
| 1976 | 15.33% | -9.9 pp |
| 1975 | 25.25% | +0.9 pp |
| 1974 | 24.3% | +21.1 pp |
| 1973 | 3.22% | -8.5 pp |
| 1972 | 11.69% | -1.8 pp |
| 1971 | 13.51% | -2.4 pp |
| 1970 | 15.95% | +3.6 pp |
| 1969 | 12.39% | +1.6 pp |
| 1968 | 10.77% | -0.1 pp |
| 1967 | 10.88% | -0.4 pp |
| 1966 | 11.26% | -2.3 pp |
| 1965 | 13.55% | -15.9 pp |
| 1964 | 29.46% | +8.8 pp |
| 1963 | 20.69% | +14.1 pp |
| 1962 | 6.62% | -1.6 pp |
| 1961 | 8.2% | +0.2 pp |
| 1960 | 7.97% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Korea, Rep.’s Inflation in 1961?
8.2% (1961). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in annual %, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Korea, Rep.’s Inflation growing or shrinking?
Between 1960 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -73.3% in total — about 2.0% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG. 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: 2.12%; 2024: 2.32%; 2023: 3.6%; 2022: 5.09%; 2021: 2.5%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG — Inflation, Consumer Prices (Annual %). 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.