South Korea
GDP was US$1.87 trillion in 2025 (current US dollars). Real GDP grew 1.0% in 2025. GDP per capita at purchasing-power parity was $55,697 (constant 2021 international dollars, 2025).
What makes South Korea different, and what is its link to Canada?
South Korea has the sample’s highest manufacturing share (27.4% of GDP), research spending (4.9%) and current account surplus (6.6%), and GDP per person has risen 110.9% since 2000
Structure and recent performance
South Korea produced US$1.9 trillion in 2025. Real GDP grew 1.0% in 2025 and 2.0% in 2024. GDP per person at purchasing-power parity is $55,697, up from $26,404 in 2000 and now close to Canada's ($57,990). Manufacturing is 27.4% of GDP, research spending 4.9% of GDP (2023) and trade 86.4% of GDP. Inflation was 2.1% and modelled unemployment 2.7%. Population is changing by -0.1% a year and 20.3% of people are aged 65 and over, from 7.1% in 2000.
Strengths and vulnerabilities
The data show a manufacturing- and research-intensive, export-oriented economy with the largest current account surplus in the sample as a share of GDP. The vulnerabilities are the speed of ageing, energy imports (83.2% of energy use) and a trade share (86.4% of GDP) that makes it sensitive to world trade conditions. This report holds no data on Korean exports by product or on its semiconductor sector.
Connections to Canada
South Korea took 0.9% of Canada's merchandise exports in 2025 and supplied 2.3% of its imports; the won is one of the eight currencies in the Canadian-dollar figure of the currency section.
"The sample" in this profile means the twelve economies that have a profile here: the United States, China, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Australia. It is not a ranking of all countries, and each comparison uses the latest year available for each country, which can differ.
What the data say about South Korea
GDP was US$1.87 trillion in 2025 (current US dollars). Real GDP grew 1.0% in 2025. GDP per capita at purchasing-power parity was $55,697 (constant 2021 international dollars, 2025). Consumer price inflation averaged 2.1% in 2025. The modelled unemployment rate was 2.7% in 2025. Exports plus imports equalled 86% of GDP in 2025. Population was 51.7 million in 2025.
| Indicator | Latest | Year | Freshness | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP (current US$) US$ (current) | 1.872e+12 | 2025 | current | WDI NY.GDP.MKTP.CD |
| GDP, PPP (constant 2021 international $) international $ (2021 PPP) | 2.879e+12 | 2025 | current | WDI NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.KD |
| GDP growth (annual %) % change, annual | 1.01 | 2025 | current | WDI NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG |
| GDP per capita, PPP (constant 2021 international $) international $ (2021 PPP) | 55,697.08 | 2025 | current | WDI NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.KD |
| GDP per capita (current US$) US$ (current) | 36,226.97 | 2025 | current | WDI NY.GDP.PCAP.CD |
| GDP per capita growth (annual %) % change, annual | 1.14 | 2025 | current | WDI NY.GDP.PCAP.KD.ZG |
| Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) % change, annual average | 2.12 | 2025 | current | WDI FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG |
| Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) % of labour force (modelled ILO estimate) | 2.68 | 2025 | current | WDI SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS |
| Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate) % of population 15+ (modelled ILO estimate) | 64.35 | 2025 | current | WDI SL.TLF.CACT.ZS |
| Trade (% of GDP) % of GDP | 86.36 | 2025 | current | WDI NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS |
| Exports of goods and services (% of GDP) % of GDP | 45.76 | 2025 | current | WDI NE.EXP.GNFS.ZS |
| Imports of goods and services (% of GDP) % of GDP | 40.6 | 2025 | current | WDI NE.IMP.GNFS.ZS |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) % of GDP | 6.57 | 2025 | current | WDI BN.CAB.XOKA.GD.ZS |
| Gross capital formation (% of GDP) % of GDP | 29.13 | 2025 | current | WDI NE.GDI.TOTL.ZS |
| Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) % of GDP | 0.84 | 2025 | current | WDI BX.KLT.DINV.WD.GD.ZS |
| Manufacturing, value added (% of GDP) % of GDP | 27.43 | 2025 | current | WDI NV.IND.MANF.ZS |
| Services, value added (% of GDP) % of GDP | 57.23 | 2025 | current | WDI NV.SRV.TOTL.ZS |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (% of GDP) % of GDP | 1.46 | 2025 | current | WDI NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS |
| Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) % of GDP | 4.94 | 2023 | current | WDI GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS |
| GDP per person employed (constant 2021 PPP $) US$ (constant 2021 PPP) per person employed | 99,046 | 2025 | current | WDI SL.GDP.PCAP.EM.KD |
| Population, total persons | 5.168e+7 | 2025 | current | WDI SP.POP.TOTL |
| Population growth (annual %) % change, annual | -0.13 | 2025 | current | WDI SP.POP.GROW |
| Population ages 65 and above (% of total population) % of population | 20.33 | 2025 | current | WDI SP.POP.65UP.TO.ZS |
| Central government debt, total (% of GDP) % of GDP (central government) | 47.81 | 2024 | current | WDI GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS |
| Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) % of GDP (net lending/borrowing) | -1.79 | 2024 | current | WDI GC.NLD.TOTL.GD.ZS |
| Energy use (kg of oil equivalent per capita) kg of oil equivalent per capita | 5,564.26 | 2024 | current | WDI EG.USE.PCAP.KG.OE |
| Renewable electricity output (% of total electricity output) % of electricity output | 6.65 | 2021 | aging | WDI EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS |
| Energy imports, net (% of energy use) % of energy use (net imports) | 83.24 | 2024 | current | WDI EG.IMP.CONS.ZS |
| Net migration persons (5-year net, UN estimate) | 65,731 | 2025 | current | WDI SM.POP.NETM |
| School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) % gross enrolment | 111.85 | 2024 | current | WDI SE.TER.ENRR |
South Korea against Canada and the world
Annual series, 1990 onward.
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Recorded links between South Korea and Canada
From the relationship graph, with each link’s evidence class.
No relationship with Canada is shown for South Korea yet. Showing one requires a measured exposure (for example a trade share) or a documented mechanism.