Social protection spending as share of total government spending in South Korea
South Korea: Social protection spending as share of total government spending was 26.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Social protection spending as share of total government spending in South Korea, 2007–2023
Source: OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of government expenditure.
Analysis
The most recent figure for social protection spending as share of total government spending in South Korea is 26.2%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 17 years on record.
The figure is up 7.4% on the previous year and up 27.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, social protection spending as share of total government spending in South Korea peaked at 26.2% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 16.6%, in 2007.
South Korea ranks 32nd of 37 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.
Social protection spending as share of total government spending in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 16.6% | — |
| 2008 | 17.1% | +3.0% |
| 2009 | 16.8% | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 17.8% | +6.1% |
| 2011 | 18.5% | +4.0% |
| 2012 | 19.7% | +6.3% |
| 2013 | 20.6% | +4.6% |
| 2014 | 21.5% | +4.6% |
| 2015 | 22.1% | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 22.4% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 22.4% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 22.3% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 22.7% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 24.5% | +8.1% |
| 2021 | 24.1% | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 24.4% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 26.2% | +7.4% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 26.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 36.4%, 72% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.8% | 16.6% | 17.1% | 3 |
| 2010s | 21.0% | 17.8% | 22.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.8% | 24.1% | 26.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More reference data data for South Korea
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9638 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.9281 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2074 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 19.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.13 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is social protection spending as share of total government spending in South Korea?
- Social protection spending as share of total government spending in South Korea was 26.2% in 2023, according to OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest social protection spending as share of total government spending recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 26.2% in 2023.
- What is the lowest social protection spending as share of total government spending recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.6% in 2007.
- How does South Korea rank for social protection spending as share of total government spending?
- South Korea ranks 32nd out of 37 countries with data for 2023.
- Is social protection spending as share of total government spending rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Social protection spending as share of total government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
General government expenditure on social protection. This data is divided by total government expenditure, expressed as a percentage.