Wealth share of the richest 1% in South Korea
South Korea: Wealth share of the richest 1% was 26.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Wealth share of the richest 1% in South Korea, 1820–2024
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 26.1% for wealth share of the richest 1% in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wealth share of the richest 1% in South Korea peaked at 44.1% in 1930 and was at its lowest, 22.1%, in 2002.
South Korea ranks 126th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 56 years of available data.
Wealth share of the richest 1% in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 32.9% | — |
| 1850 | 34.9% | +6.1% |
| 1880 | 41.8% | +19.9% |
| 1900 | 42.3% | +1.1% |
| 1910 | 42.9% | +1.6% |
| 1920 | 43.6% | +1.6% |
| 1930 | 44.1% | +1.1% |
| 1940 | 36.2% | -17.9% |
| 1950 | 23.1% | -36.3% |
| 1960 | 23.8% | +3.4% |
| 1970 | 24.9% | +4.6% |
| 1980 | 22.3% | -10.5% |
| 1981 | 22.3% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 22.3% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 22.3% | -0.0% |
| 1984 | 22.3% | -0.0% |
| 1985 | 22.3% | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 22.3% | -0.0% |
| 1987 | 22.3% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 23.6% | +6.1% |
| 1989 | 23.2% | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 23.3% | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 23.1% | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 22.9% | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 22.8% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 22.7% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 23.5% | +3.2% |
| 1996 | 23.4% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 22.9% | -2.1% |
| 1998 | 22.2% | -3.0% |
| 1999 | 22.3% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 22.2% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 24.2% | +9.0% |
| 2002 | 22.1% | -8.8% |
| 2003 | 24.0% | +8.5% |
| 2004 | 25.3% | +5.5% |
| 2005 | 27.2% | +7.2% |
| 2006 | 22.2% | -18.4% |
| 2007 | 26.0% | +17.1% |
| 2008 | 25.9% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 25.2% | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 25.8% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 24.1% | -6.3% |
| 2012 | 27.8% | +15.3% |
| 2013 | 26.1% | -6.3% |
| 2014 | 26.2% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 26.4% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 26.4% | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 26.7% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 27.0% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 26.4% | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 26.1% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 26.6% | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 26.3% | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 25.9% | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 26.1% | +0.6% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 26.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 27.5%, 95% of the median. (79 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 26.1% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 27.2%, 96% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Wealth share of the richest 1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | -36.3% | 36.2% | 23.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 32.9% | 32.9% | 32.9% | 1 |
| 1850s | 34.9% | 34.9% | 34.9% | 1 |
| 1880s | 41.8% | 41.8% | 41.8% | 1 |
| 1900s | 42.3% | 42.3% | 42.3% | 1 |
| 1910s | 42.9% | 42.9% | 42.9% | 1 |
| 1920s | 43.6% | 43.6% | 43.6% | 1 |
| 1930s | 44.1% | 44.1% | 44.1% | 1 |
| 1940s | 36.2% | 36.2% | 36.2% | 1 |
| 1950s | 23.1% | 23.1% | 23.1% | 1 |
| 1960s | 23.8% | 23.8% | 23.8% | 1 |
| 1970s | 24.9% | 24.9% | 24.9% | 1 |
| 1980s | 22.5% | 22.3% | 23.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.9% | 22.2% | 23.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.4% | 22.1% | 27.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.3% | 24.1% | 27.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.2% | 25.9% | 26.6% | 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 wealth share of the richest 1% in South Korea?
- Wealth share of the richest 1% in South Korea was 26.1% in 2024, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest wealth share of the richest 1% recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 44.1% in 1930.
- What is the lowest wealth share of the richest 1% recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.1% in 2002.
- How does South Korea rank for wealth share of the richest 1%?
- South Korea ranks 126th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is wealth share of the richest 1% rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Wealth share of the richest 1%. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of wealth owned by the richest 1% of the population. Wealth is defined as the total value of non-financial and financial assets (housing, land, deposits, bonds, equities, etc.) held by households, minus their debts.