Labor productivity per hour pennworldtable in South Korea

South Korea: Labor productivity per hour pennworldtable was 53.61 in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
53.61
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
25th
of 130 countries
All-time high
54.24
in 2022
All-time low
1.67
in 1953
Years of data
71
1953–2023

Labor productivity per hour pennworldtable in South Korea, 1953–2023

0204060195319882023

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

South Korea recorded 53.61 for labor productivity per hour pennworldtable in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and up 39.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor productivity per hour pennworldtable in South Korea peaked at 54.24 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 1.67, in 1953.

That places South Korea 25th out of 130 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Labor productivity per hour pennworldtable in South Korea, year by year

Annual values for Labor productivity per hour pennworldtable in South Korea, 1953 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1953 1.67 —
1954 1.71 +2.1%
1955 1.8 +5.5%
1956 1.8 -0.2%
1957 1.9 +5.6%
1958 1.9 +0.3%
1959 1.87 -1.6%
1960 1.82 -2.8%
1961 1.85 +1.5%
1962 1.77 -4.2%
1963 1.88 +6.1%
1964 2.08 +10.6%
1965 2 -4.0%
1966 2.22 +11.3%
1967 2.24 +0.8%
1968 2.34 +4.6%
1969 2.54 +8.3%
1970 2.81 +10.8%
1971 3.18 +13.1%
1972 3.42 +7.6%
1973 3.98 +16.3%
1974 4.58 +15.1%
1975 5.2 +13.4%
1976 5.33 +2.6%
1977 5.66 +6.2%
1978 5.93 +4.8%
1979 6.19 +4.4%
1980 5.87 -5.2%
1981 6.09 +3.7%
1982 6.36 +4.5%
1983 7.06 +11.0%
1984 7.82 +10.8%
1985 8 +2.3%
1986 9.02 +12.7%
1987 10.04 +11.3%
1988 11.27 +12.2%
1989 12.47 +10.7%
1990 13.93 +11.7%
1991 15.49 +11.2%
1992 16.6 +7.2%
1993 17.9 +7.8%
1994 19.65 +9.8%
1995 21.4 +8.9%
1996 23.49 +9.8%
1997 23.13 -1.5%
1998 22.51 -2.7%
1999 24.5 +8.8%
2000 25.21 +2.9%
2001 25.65 +1.8%
2002 27.43 +6.9%
2003 29.01 +5.7%
2004 30.69 +5.8%
2005 33.51 +9.2%
2006 34.29 +2.3%
2007 36.38 +6.1%
2008 37.67 +3.5%
2009 37.4 -0.7%
2010 39.9 +6.7%
2011 39.71 -0.5%
2012 39.59 -0.3%
2013 38.42 -3.0%
2014 40.03 +4.2%
2015 41.85 +4.5%
2016 43.28 +3.4%
2017 45.42 +5.0%
2018 47.58 +4.8%
2019 49.54 +4.1%
2020 51.98 +4.9%
2021 53.58 +3.1%
2022 54.24 +1.2%
2023 53.61 -1.2%

South Korea compared with similar countries

  • South Korea's 53.61 is above the median for high income countries, which is 51.52, 1.0× the median. (51 countries reporting)
  • South Korea's 53.61 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 24.39, 2.2× the median. (14 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 1.81 1.67 1.9 7
1960s 2.07 1.77 2.54 10
1970s 4.63 2.81 6.19 10
1980s 8.4 5.87 12.47 10
1990s 19.86 13.93 24.5 10
2000s 31.72 25.21 37.67 10
2010s 42.53 38.42 49.54 10
2020s 53.35 51.98 54.24 4

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 22 Taiwan 60.85 compare
  2. 23 Saudi Arabia 59.88 compare
  3. 24 Turkey 56.52 compare
  4. 26 Bahrain 52.47 compare
  5. 27 United Arab Emirates 52.13 compare
  6. 28 Hong Kong 51.52 compare

See the full ranking of 130 places →

More work & labour data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor productivity per hour pennworldtable in South Korea?
Labor productivity per hour pennworldtable in South Korea was 53.61 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest labor productivity per hour pennworldtable recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 54.24 in 2022.
What is the lowest labor productivity per hour pennworldtable recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 1.67 in 1953.
How does South Korea rank for labor productivity per hour pennworldtable?
South Korea ranks 25th out of 130 countries with data for 2023.
Is labor productivity per hour pennworldtable rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 39.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Labor productivity per hour pennworldtable. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Labor productivity per hour pennworldtable in South Korea. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 10 November 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/labor-productivity-per-hour-pennworldtable/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Labor productivity per hour pennworldtable
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
130 places, 4,965 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed