Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) in South Korea
South Korea: Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) was 88.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Manufactures exports in South Korea, 1962–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise exports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for manufactures exports in South Korea is 88.0%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, manufactures exports in South Korea peaked at 93.2% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 18.2%, in 1962.
South Korea ranks 9th of 196 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 18.2% | — |
| 1963 | 45.1% | +147.6% |
| 1964 | 46.6% | +3.5% |
| 1965 | 59.3% | +27.1% |
| 1966 | 60.6% | +2.1% |
| 1967 | 66.6% | +10.0% |
| 1968 | 73.9% | +10.9% |
| 1969 | 76.0% | +2.8% |
| 1970 | 76.5% | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 81.6% | +6.7% |
| 1972 | 83.6% | +2.4% |
| 1973 | 84.0% | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 84.6% | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 81.4% | -3.9% |
| 1976 | 87.4% | +7.4% |
| 1977 | 84.8% | -3.0% |
| 1978 | 88.2% | +4.0% |
| 1979 | 88.8% | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 89.5% | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 90.0% | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 91.2% | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 90.9% | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 91.2% | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 91.3% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 91.9% | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 92.4% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 93.0% | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 92.8% | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 93.2% | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 92.6% | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 92.5% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 92.8% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 92.8% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 91.5% | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 88.6% | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 86.9% | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 86.4% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 89.6% | +3.7% |
| 2000 | 89.9% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 90.1% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 91.6% | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 91.7% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 91.1% | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 90.8% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 89.2% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 89.0% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 86.6% | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 88.8% | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 88.3% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 85.3% | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 84.5% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 86.0% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 86.5% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 89.4% | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 89.9% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 89.3% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 87.6% | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 87.4% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 89.4% | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 87.9% | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 84.9% | -3.4% |
| 2023 | 86.1% | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 87.3% | +1.4% |
| 2025 | 88.0% | +0.8% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 88.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 59.0%, 1.5× the median. (71 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 88.0% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 39.4%, 2.2× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | +147.6% | 18.2% | 45.1% |
| 1965 | +27.1% | 46.6% | 59.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 55.8% | 18.2% | 76.0% | 8 |
| 1970s | 84.1% | 76.5% | 88.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 91.4% | 89.5% | 93.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 90.7% | 86.4% | 93.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 89.9% | 86.6% | 91.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 87.4% | 84.5% | 89.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 87.3% | 84.9% | 89.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More private sector data for South Korea
- Merchandise trade 71.6% (2025)
- Food imports 6.5% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 62.1% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 631.89 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 183.44 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 1.7% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 709.33 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 149.31 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 13,724 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.3788 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is manufactures exports in South Korea?
- Manufactures exports in South Korea was 88.0% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest manufactures exports recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 93.2% in 1990.
- What is the lowest manufactures exports recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.2% in 1962.
- How does South Korea rank for manufactures exports?
- South Korea ranks 9th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is manufactures exports rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Manufactures comprise commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 5 (chemicals), 6 (basic manufactures), 7 (machinery and transport equipment), and 8 (miscellaneous manufactured goods), excluding division 68 (non-ferrous metals). This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise exports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a resident and a non-resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e.