GDP per person employed (constant 2021 PPP $) in South Korea
South Korea: GDP per person employed (constant 2021 PPP $) was 99,046 constant 2021 PPP $ in 2025. ▲ Rising
GDP per person employed in South Korea, 1991–2025
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), note: Estimates are based on employment, population, GDP, and PPP data obtained from International Labour Organization, United Nations Population Division, Eurostat,. Measured in constant 2021 PPP $.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gdp per person employed in South Korea is 99,046 constant 2021 PPP $, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 15.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gdp per person employed in South Korea peaked at 99,046 constant 2021 PPP $ in 2025 and was at its lowest, 35,978 constant 2021 PPP $, in 1991.
That places South Korea 36th out of 177 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
GDP per person employed (constant 2021 PPP $) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | constant 2021 PPP $ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 35,978 constant 2021 PPP $ | — |
| 1992 | 37,462 constant 2021 PPP $ | +4.1% |
| 1993 | 39,566 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.6% |
| 1994 | 41,892 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.9% |
| 1995 | 44,737 constant 2021 PPP $ | +6.8% |
| 1996 | 47,316 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.8% |
| 1997 | 49,478 constant 2021 PPP $ | +4.6% |
| 1998 | 50,064 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 54,910 constant 2021 PPP $ | +9.7% |
| 2000 | 57,330 constant 2021 PPP $ | +4.4% |
| 2001 | 58,844 constant 2021 PPP $ | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 61,871 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.1% |
| 2003 | 63,892 constant 2021 PPP $ | +3.3% |
| 2004 | 65,896 constant 2021 PPP $ | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 68,541 constant 2021 PPP $ | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 71,216 constant 2021 PPP $ | +3.9% |
| 2007 | 74,452 constant 2021 PPP $ | +4.5% |
| 2008 | 76,144 constant 2021 PPP $ | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 76,906 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 81,146 constant 2021 PPP $ | +5.5% |
| 2011 | 82,207 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 82,709 constant 2021 PPP $ | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 84,090 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 84,590 constant 2021 PPP $ | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 86,160 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 88,154 constant 2021 PPP $ | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 90,164 constant 2021 PPP $ | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 92,693 constant 2021 PPP $ | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 93,750 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 93,906 constant 2021 PPP $ | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 97,285 constant 2021 PPP $ | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 96,960 constant 2021 PPP $ | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 97,027 constant 2021 PPP $ | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 98,259 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 99,046 constant 2021 PPP $ | +0.8% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 99,046 constant 2021 PPP $ is below the median for high income countries, which is 108,203 constant 2021 PPP $, 92% of the median. (59 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 99,046 constant 2021 PPP $ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 35,266 constant 2021 PPP $, 2.8× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 44,600 constant 2021 PPP $ | 35,978 constant 2021 PPP $ | 54,910 constant 2021 PPP $ | 9 |
| 2000s | 67,509 constant 2021 PPP $ | 57,330 constant 2021 PPP $ | 76,906 constant 2021 PPP $ | 10 |
| 2010s | 86,566 constant 2021 PPP $ | 81,146 constant 2021 PPP $ | 93,750 constant 2021 PPP $ | 10 |
| 2020s | 97,080 constant 2021 PPP $ | 93,906 constant 2021 PPP $ | 99,046 constant 2021 PPP $ | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More work & labour data for South Korea
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 16,840 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 63.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 29,824 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 2.96 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 0.78 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 97,052 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 65,686 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 62.02 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 0.9719 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate -0.1065 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gdp per person employed in South Korea?
- Gdp per person employed in South Korea was 99,046 constant 2021 PPP $ in 2025, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), note: Estimates are based on employment, population, GDP, and PPP data obtained from International Labour Organization, United Nations Population Division, Eurostat,.
- What is the highest gdp per person employed recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 99,046 constant 2021 PPP $ in 2025.
- What is the lowest gdp per person employed recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 35,978 constant 2021 PPP $ in 1991.
- How does South Korea rank for gdp per person employed?
- South Korea ranks 36th out of 177 countries with data for 2025.
- Is gdp per person employed rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), note: Estimates are based on employment, population, GDP, and PPP data obtained from International Labour Organization, United Nations Population Division, Eurostat,, published as part of GDP per person employed (constant 2021 PPP $). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
GDP per person employed is gross domestic product (GDP) divided by total employment in the economy. Purchasing power parity (PPP) GDP is GDP converted to 2021 constant international dollars using PPP rates. An international dollar has the same purchasing power over GDP that a U.S. dollar has in the United States.