Korea, Rep.: Trade in services (% of GDP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Korea, Rep.'s trade in services (% of GDP) rose 1.17 percentage points on 2024 (from 16.72% to 17.88%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +0.3 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.45 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 4.49 percentage points in 2008 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.34 percentage points in 1999. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.55 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 65% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, Korea, Rep. had the 81st highest value of the 135 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Korea, Rep. in the 2025 ranking

• Lesotho — 77th of 135: 18.98%
• Slovak Republic — 78th of 135: 18.78%
• Philippines — 79th of 135: 18.39%
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 81st of 135: 17.43%
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 82nd of 135: 17.15%
• Oman — 83rd of 135: 17.1%

What this measures

Total trade in services includes services provided by residents to non-residents plus services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 50 values

Trade in services (% of GDP) in nearby economies

• Australia — 11.55% (2025)
• Brunei Darussalam — 13.32% (2025)
• Cambodia — 16.72% (2025)
• China — 5.17% (2025)
• Fiji — 52.17% (2024)
• French Polynesia — 25.61% (2016)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 48.83% (2025)
• Indonesia — 7.29% (2025)
• Japan — 11.62% (2025)
• Kiribati — 31.62% (2025)
• Lao PDR — 19.05% (2025)

More economic policy & debt data for Korea, Rep.

• Total reserves, including gold (current US$) — US$436.57 billion (2025)
• Total reserves, excluding gold (current US$) — US$421.91 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) — US$330.43 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU) — 470.02 trillion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) — US$332.28 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (constant LCU) — 411.92 trillion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) — 17.65% (2025)
• Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure (current US$)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Korea, Rep.'s trade in services (% of GDP)?

17.88% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1976?

It is up 8.93 percentage points from 8.95% in 1976. The highest value was 17.88% in 2025 and the lowest 6.87% in 1991.

How does Korea, Rep. rank?

81st highest of 135 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in trade in services (% of GDP) unusual for Korea, Rep.?

In 2025, Korea, Rep.'s trade in services (% of GDP) rose 1.17 percentage points on 2024 (from 16.72% to 17.88%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +0.3 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.45 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator BG.GSR.NFSV.GD.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF); World Development Indicators Database, World Bank (WB); National Accounts data files, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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