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South Korea GDP by year, 1960 to 2025

South Korea's GDP peaked at $1.94 trillion in 2021 and was $1.87 trillion in 2025, 13th in the world, up from 26th in 1980.

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What the data shows

  • South Korea: $0.00T in 1960, $1.87T in 2025. It peaked at $1.94T in 2021.
  • Brazil: $0.02T in 1960, $2.28T in 2025. It peaked at $2.62T in 2011.
  • Spain: $0.01T in 1960, $1.91T in 2025.
  • Mexico: $0.01T in 1960, $1.83T in 2025.

About this chart

South Korea ranked 26th in the world in 1980, with GDP of $66 billion. By 2000 it had reached 12th at $598 billion, and in 2025 it was 13th at $1.87 trillion. The high point so far was 2021 at $1.94 trillion, and the country has not matched it since. The sharpest fall since the 1960s came in 1998, when the Asian financial crisis cut dollar GDP 33 percent, from $589 billion to $397 billion.

Among the three economies nearest in size, South Korea is behind Brazil ($2.28 trillion) and Spain ($1.91 trillion) and ahead of Mexico ($1.83 trillion). It passed Spain in 2012 and held the lead until 2025. Mexico has trailed Korea since 2009. Korea led Brazil in 2020 and 2021, and Brazil has been ahead since 2022. Values are nominal current US dollars, not adjusted for inflation or purchasing power.

The data

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (NY.GDP.MKTP.CD), GDP in current US$, trillions. Retrieved November 4, 2026.

South Korea's GDP, GDP in current US$ trillions, 1960 to 2025, 1960–2025
Date🇰🇷 South Korea🇧🇷 Brazil🇪🇸 Spain🇲🇽 Mexico
1960$0.00T$0.02T$0.01T$0.01T
1961$0.00T$0.02T$0.01T$0.01T
1962$0.00T$0.02T$0.02T$0.02T
1963$0.00T$0.02T$0.02T$0.02T
1964$0.00T$0.02T$0.02T$0.02T
1965$0.00T$0.02T$0.03T$0.02T
1966$0.00T$0.03T$0.03T$0.02T
1967$0.01T$0.03T$0.03T$0.03T
1968$0.01T$0.03T$0.03T$0.03T
1969$0.01T$0.04T$0.04T$0.03T
1970$0.01T$0.04T$0.04T$0.04T
1971$0.01T$0.05T$0.05T$0.04T
1972$0.01T$0.06T$0.06T$0.05T
1973$0.01T$0.08T$0.08T$0.06T
1974$0.02T$0.11T$0.10T$0.07T
1975$0.02T$0.13T$0.12T$0.09T
1976$0.03T$0.15T$0.12T$0.09T
1977$0.04T$0.18T$0.13T$0.08T
1978$0.05T$0.20T$0.16T$0.10T
1979$0.07T$0.22T$0.21T$0.14T
1980$0.07T$0.24T$0.23T$0.21T
1981$0.07T$0.26T$0.20T$0.26T
1982$0.08T$0.27T$0.20T$0.19T
1983$0.09T$0.19T$0.17T$0.16T
1984$0.10T$0.19T$0.17T$0.18T
1985$0.10T$0.21T$0.18T$0.20T
1986$0.12T$0.26T$0.25T$0.14T
1987$0.15T$0.28T$0.32T$0.15T
1988$0.21T$0.31T$0.38T$0.18T
1989$0.25T$0.41T$0.41T$0.22T
1990$0.29T$0.39T$0.54T$0.26T
1991$0.34T$0.34T$0.58T$0.31T
1992$0.37T$0.33T$0.63T$0.36T
1993$0.41T$0.37T$0.53T$0.53T
1994$0.48T$0.53T$0.53T$0.55T
1995$0.59T$0.77T$0.61T$0.38T
1996$0.63T$0.85T$0.64T$0.43T
1997$0.59T$0.88T$0.59T$0.52T
1998$0.40T$0.86T$0.62T$0.56T
1999$0.52T$0.60T$0.63T$0.63T
2000$0.60T$0.66T$0.60T$0.74T
2001$0.57T$0.56T$0.63T$0.80T
2002$0.65T$0.51T$0.71T$0.81T
2003$0.73T$0.56T$0.91T$0.77T
2004$0.82T$0.67T$1.07T$0.82T
2005$0.97T$0.89T$1.16T$0.92T
2006$1.10T$1.11T$1.26T$1.02T
2007$1.22T$1.40T$1.48T$1.10T
2008$1.09T$1.70T$1.64T$1.16T
2009$0.98T$1.67T$1.50T$0.94T
2010$1.19T$2.21T$1.43T$1.11T
2011$1.31T$2.62T$1.49T$1.23T
2012$1.34T$2.47T$1.33T$1.26T
2013$1.44T$2.47T$1.36T$1.33T
2014$1.56T$2.46T$1.38T$1.37T
2015$1.54T$1.80T$1.21T$1.21T
2016$1.58T$1.80T$1.24T$1.11T
2017$1.71T$2.06T$1.32T$1.19T
2018$1.82T$1.92T$1.43T$1.26T
2019$1.75T$1.87T$1.40T$1.30T
2020$1.74T$1.48T$1.29T$1.12T
2021$1.94T$1.67T$1.46T$1.32T
2022$1.80T$1.95T$1.45T$1.47T
2023$1.85T$2.19T$1.62T$1.79T
2024$1.88T$2.19T$1.73T$1.83T
2025$1.87T$2.28T$1.91T$1.83T

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Frequently asked questions

What is South Korea's GDP?

South Korea's GDP was about $1.87 trillion in 2025, according to the World Bank, in current US dollars. That ranks 13th in the world, just below its 2021 peak of $1.94 trillion.

What happened to South Korea's GDP in 1998?

South Korea's GDP fell 33 percent in 1998, from $589 billion to $397 billion, during the Asian financial crisis. It had reached $598 billion by 2000.

Which economies are closest to South Korea's in size?

In 2025 the nearest were Brazil at $2.28 trillion, Spain at $1.91 trillion and Mexico at $1.83 trillion. South Korea sat between Spain and Mexico, about $40 billion ahead of Mexico.

Where does this data come from?

World Bank, World Development Indicators (NY.GDP.MKTP.CD), GDP in current US$, trillions. Retrieved November 4, 2026. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

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