Public social spending as share of GDP in South Korea
South Korea: Public social spending as share of GDP was 15.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Public social spending as share of GDP in South Korea, 1990–2024
Source: OECD (2025); OECD (1985); Lindert (2004) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 15.3% for public social spending as share of gdp in 2024.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 77.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, public social spending as share of gdp in South Korea peaked at 16.2% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 2.5%, in 1991.
South Korea ranks 35th of 42 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Public social spending as share of GDP in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.5% | — |
| 1991 | 2.5% | -3.6% |
| 1992 | 2.7% | +8.6% |
| 1993 | 2.7% | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 2.7% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 2.9% | +6.3% |
| 1996 | 3.0% | +4.9% |
| 1997 | 3.3% | +7.6% |
| 1998 | 4.5% | +38.7% |
| 1999 | 5.4% | +19.2% |
| 2000 | 4.2% | -21.7% |
| 2001 | 4.5% | +5.7% |
| 2002 | 4.4% | -2.9% |
| 2003 | 4.6% | +6.1% |
| 2004 | 5.2% | +12.1% |
| 2005 | 5.5% | +6.2% |
| 2006 | 6.3% | +13.9% |
| 2007 | 6.3% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 6.8% | +7.3% |
| 2009 | 7.6% | +11.5% |
| 2010 | 7.4% | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 7.3% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 7.8% | +6.7% |
| 2013 | 8.3% | +6.0% |
| 2014 | 8.6% | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 9.1% | +4.9% |
| 2016 | 9.2% | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 9.5% | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 10.2% | +7.4% |
| 2019 | 11.4% | +12.3% |
| 2020 | 14.9% | +30.2% |
| 2021 | 15.2% | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 16.2% | +6.7% |
| 2023 | 15.4% | -5.4% |
| 2024 | 15.3% | -0.2% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 15.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 22.3%, 69% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Public social spending as share of GDP in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | +38.7% | 3.3% | 4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.2% | 2.5% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.5% | 4.2% | 7.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.9% | 7.3% | 11.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.4% | 14.9% | 16.2% | 5 |
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 public social spending as share of gdp in South Korea?
- Public social spending as share of gdp in South Korea was 15.3% in 2024, according to OECD (2025); OECD (1985); Lindert (2004) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest public social spending as share of gdp recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 16.2% in 2022.
- What is the lowest public social spending as share of gdp recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.5% in 1991.
- How does South Korea rank for public social spending as share of gdp?
- South Korea ranks 35th out of 42 countries with data for 2024.
- Is public social spending as share of gdp rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 77.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2025); OECD (1985); Lindert (2004) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Public social spending as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Public social expenditure divided bt gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.