South Korea Exports as a Share of GDP
South Korea's ratio of exports of goods and services to GDP was 46.0% in 2025, up 1.4 percentage points from 2024. The record high was 52.0% in 2012. It was 1.7% in 1953.
1953–2025 (% of GDP)
Data table
| Year | Exports as a Share of GDP, % of GDP |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 46.0 |
| 2024 | 44.6 |
| 2023 | 41.3 |
| 2022 | 45.5 |
| 2021 | 39.6 |
| 2020 | 34.6 |
| 2019 | 37.0 |
| 2018 | 39.5 |
| 2017 | 38.8 |
| 2016 | 38.1 |
| 2015 | 41.0 |
| 2014 | 45.8 |
| 2013 | 49.2 |
| 2012 | 52.0 |
| 2011 | 51.3 |
| 2010 | 45.3 |
| 2009 | 43.5 |
| 2008 | 45.8 |
| 2007 | 36.0 |
| 2006 | 34.4 |
| 2005 | 34.1 |
| 2004 | 35.6 |
| 2003 | 30.4 |
| 2002 | 28.9 |
| 2001 | 30.9 |
| 2000 | 32.9 |
| 1999 | 31.5 |
| 1998 | 38.2 |
| 1997 | 27.5 |
| 1996 | 24.2 |
| 1995 | 25.1 |
| 1994 | 23.5 |
| 1993 | 22.9 |
| 1992 | 23.3 |
| 1991 | 23.0 |
| 1990 | 24.2 |
| 1989 | 26.5 |
| 1988 | 31.4 |
| 1987 | 33.7 |
| 1986 | 31.0 |
| 1985 | 26.1 |
| 1984 | 28.1 |
| 1983 | 27.2 |
| 1982 | 26.7 |
| 1981 | 29.2 |
| 1980 | 27.7 |
| 1979 | 23.1 |
| 1978 | 24.5 |
| 1977 | 25.5 |
| 1976 | 25.0 |
| 1975 | 22.2 |
| 1974 | 21.8 |
| 1973 | 23.5 |
| 1972 | 16.3 |
| 1971 | 12.5 |
| 1970 | 11.3 |
| 1969 | 10.5 |
| 1968 | 10.1 |
| 1967 | 9.0 |
| 1966 | 8.4 |
| 1965 | 7.1 |
| 1964 | 4.9 |
| 1963 | 3.9 |
| 1962 | 3.9 |
| 1961 | 4.0 |
| 1960 | 2.6 |
| 1959 | 1.9 |
| 1958 | 1.5 |
| 1957 | 1.2 |
| 1956 | 1.2 |
| 1955 | 1.3 |
| 1954 | 1.0 |
| 1953 | 1.7 |
Context
This is the value of goods and services South Korea sells abroad, compared with the size of its economy. It shows how much the country trades with the rest of the world. Exports are counted at full value, including imported parts and materials, so the figure is not the share of GDP that exports create.
In 1953 exports were equal to 1.7% of GDP. From the 1960s the country built its growth on selling manufactured goods abroad, and the ratio passed 10% in 1968, 20% in 1973 and 30% in 1986.
It passed 40% in 2008 and reached a record 52.0% in 2012. It has been lower in every year since, falling to 34.6% in 2020 when the pandemic cut world trade, and stood at 46.0% in 2025.