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🇰🇷 South Korea

Republic of Korea

KOR KR ₩ South Korean won (KRW)

Every statistic we track for South Korea — 131 indicators, each with its latest value and world rank. Open the interactive profile →

GDP per capita (PPP)

$68,624

#30 of 191

Life expectancy

80.5 yrs

#24 of 188

Happiness score

6.04

#67 of 147

Liberal democracy

0.74

#22 of 179

All indicators

📈 Economy

Account Ownership 96.9% #26/139 2024
Bank Account Ownership 96.9% #26/139 2024
Bank Branches 12.4 #76/153 2024
Big Mac Price 3.7 #40/53 2026
Credit to Government (BIS) 45.7% #19/28 2025
Credit to Households (BIS) 88.6% #6/43 2025
Credit to Private Non-financial Sector (BIS) 199% #11/43 2025
Currency Valuation vs USD (Big Mac) -38.9% #40/53 2026
Current Account Balance 5.6% #31/190 2026
Debit Card Ownership 79.6% #45/140 2024
Exchange Rate (per US$) 1,363.4 #17/197 2024
Extreme Poverty 0% #205/237 2023
Fiscal Balance -1.5% #55/189 2026
Forbes Global 2000 Companies 61 #5/55 2023
GDP (current US$) 1,931 #15/190 2026
GDP (PPP) 3,542 #14/191 2026
GDP per Capita 37,412 #40/190 2026
GDP per Capita (Long Run) 41,321 #23/165 2022
GDP per Capita (PPP) 68,624 #30/191 2026
GDP per Capita Growth 3.3% #68/184 2019
Government Debt 54.4% #88/185 2026
Income per Person 31,840 #25/183 2018
Income per Person 31,840 #25/183 2018
Inflation (CPI) 2.5% #141/191 2026
Labour Productivity (GDP per hour) (PWT) 53.6 #25/130 2023
Listed Companies 2,599 #6/70 2024
Made a Digital Payment 90.8% #17/144 2017
Mobile Money Account 60.1% #8/80 2024
Real GDP Growth 1.9% #146/191 2026
Share of World GDP (PPP) 1.6% #14/191 2026
Stock Market Capitalisation 83.1% #15/70 2024
Stocks Traded 166.7% #4/69 2024
Tax Wedge (single, avg wage) (OECD) 24.6% #34/40 2023
Top Brand Value 49 #10/16 2026
Top Global Brands 1 #10/16 2026
Total GDP (Long Run) 2,137,558,645,699 #12/165 2022
Unemployment Rate 2.8% #92/103 2026

👥 Demographics

Fertility Rate (WB) 0.8 #216/217 2024
Median Age 46.2 #16/235 2026
Population 48.8 #27/229 2013
Population 51.6 #30/191 2026
Population Density 521.5 #28/235 2026
Refugees by Country of Origin 117 #149/195 2025
Urban Population 81.2% #52/213 2024

🌐 Connectivity

Access to Electricity 100% #107/214 2023
Internet Users 97.9% #13/182 2024
Mobile Subscriptions 148.7 #29/209 2022

🫀 Health

Adult Obesity 7.4% #182/199 2022
Alcohol Consumption per Capita 8.3 #61/207 2022
Child Mortality (under-5) 0.3 #188/199 2024
Health Spending (QoG) 9.4% #39/189 2022
Hypertension Prevalence 26.7% #186/194 2019
Infant Mortality (QoG) 2.3 #177/191 2023
Life Expectancy 80.5 #24/188 2013
Life Expectancy 82.8 #8/186 2020
Suicide Rate 20.6 #10/185 2021
Tobacco Use Prevalence 19.6% #85/167 2022
Undernourishment 2.5% #157/166 2023
Universal Health Coverage Index 88 #8/195 2023

🎓 Education

Mean Years of Schooling 13.7 #2/146 2020
PISA Mathematics Score 527 #6/79 2022
PISA Reading Score 515 #4/79 2022
PISA Science Score 528 #5/79 2022

🌱 Environment

CO₂ per Capita (WB) 11.4 #17/203 2024
Energy Use per Person 5,337 #14/149 2023
Renewable Electricity 9.7% #149/195 2024

🏛️ Governance

Civil Liberties (V-Dem) 0.9 #28/179 2025
Clean Elections (V-Dem) 0.9 #28/179 2025
Control of Corruption (QoG) 0.9 #39/192 2024
Corruption Perceptions Index 64 #31/179 2024
Corruption Perceptions Index (QoG) 64 #30/177 2024
Deliberative Democracy (V-Dem) 0.8 #16/179 2025
Egalitarian Democracy (V-Dem) 0.7 #20/179 2025
Electoral Democracy (V-Dem) 0.8 #25/179 2025
Freedom House Status (QoG) 1 #149/193 2024
Freedom in the World Score 83 #61/196 2024
Freedom of Expression (V-Dem) 0.9 #12/179 2025
Gender Equality (V-Dem) 0.9 #38/179 2025
Government Effectiveness (QoG) 1.5 #20/192 2024
Judicial Constraints on Executive (V-Dem) 0.9 #36/179 2025
Liberal Democracy (V-Dem) 0.7 #22/179 2025
Military Spending 2.6% #34/150 2025
Participatory Democracy (V-Dem) 0.6 #27/179 2025
Political Corruption (V-Dem) 0.2 #145/179 2025
Press Freedom (RSF) (QoG) 64.9 #62/173 2024
Rule of Law (V-Dem) 0.9 #31/179 2025
Voice & Accountability (QoG) 0.8 #46/192 2024

📰 Media & news

News Avoidance (Digital News Report) 29% #44/48 2026
Paying for Online News (Digital News Report) 19% #7/42 2026
Press Freedom Index 69.1 #47/177 2026
Social Media as News Source (Digital News Report) 47% #34/48 2026
Trust in News (Digital News Report) 30% #32/48 2026
Trust in the News Media (ISSP) 48.4% #9/28 2020

🛡️ Safety

Homicide Rate 0.8 #174/204 2023
Road Traffic Deaths 6.9 #148/195 2021

⚠️ Risk & resilience

Climate Seen as a Threat 97.1% #2/142 2023
Confident Can Protect Family 48.2% #64/142 2023
Disaster Exposure (WRI) 10 #30/193 2025
Experienced a Disaster 25.4% #74/142 2023
Experienced Discrimination (Skin Colour) 6.4% #71/139 2023
INFORM Risk Index 2 #173/191 2025
Resilience to Risk (WRP) 57.8 #43/141 2023
World Risk Index 11 #49/193 2025
Worry About Violent Crime 86.4% #8/142 2023

😊 Wellbeing

Happiness (Cantril Ladder) 6 #67/147 2025
Happiness Driver: Freedom 0.8 #102/146 2025
Happiness Driver: GDP 1.9 #24/147 2025
Happiness Driver: Generosity 0.1 #90/147 2025
Happiness Driver: Healthy Life Expectancy 1 #6/146 2025
Happiness Driver: Low Corruption 0.1 #55/147 2025
Happiness Driver: Social Support 1.2 #84/147 2025
Human Development Index 0.9 #20/193 2023

🧭 Attitudes & values

Attended a Demonstration 10.8% #76/151 2017
Believe Vaccines Are Effective 70% #121/143 2018
Believe Vaccines Are Safe 48.7% #132/143 2018
Individualism 18 #54/65 2010
Interpersonal Trust (ISSP) 31.9% #12/27 2020
Long-term Orientation 75 #6/26 2010
Masculinity 39 #51/65 2010
Power Distance 60 #34/65 2010
Secular Values 0.6 #2/64 2022
Self-Expression Values 0.5 #24/64 2022
Signed a Petition 31.3% #25/121 2017
Trade Union Membership 6.6% #84/120 2017
Trust in government 4.2 #88/123 2017
Trust in parliament 3.6 #136/151 2017
Trust in political parties 3.4 #79/120 2017
Trust in Science 90% #16/143 2018
Trust in Scientists 80.4% #35/143 2018
Trust in the legal system 5 #77/153 2017
Uncertainty Avoidance 85 #21/65 2010

Latest available period per indicator; rank is the country's position among all countries with data. Sources are credited on each indicator page.