Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies … within in South Korea
South Korea: Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies … within was 35.1% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in South Korea, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise exports.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 35.1% for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.3% on the previous year and down 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in South Korea peaked at 42.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1960.
That places South Korea 48th out of 203 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies … within in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.3% | — |
| 1962 | 1.4% | +333.5% |
| 1963 | 7.4% | +417.1% |
| 1964 | 9.1% | +21.9% |
| 1965 | 13.3% | +46.1% |
| 1966 | 8.8% | -33.5% |
| 1967 | 4.9% | -44.8% |
| 1968 | 3.0% | -38.5% |
| 1969 | 3.6% | +20.3% |
| 1970 | 2.8% | -21.8% |
| 1971 | 3.2% | +13.1% |
| 1972 | 3.0% | -5.8% |
| 1973 | 2.6% | -14.7% |
| 1974 | 2.7% | +6.3% |
| 1975 | 2.1% | -21.3% |
| 1976 | 1.7% | -20.9% |
| 1977 | 2.5% | +48.9% |
| 1978 | 2.7% | +7.1% |
| 1979 | 3.5% | +29.3% |
| 1980 | 5.4% | +53.0% |
| 1981 | 4.1% | -24.2% |
| 1982 | 4.5% | +11.0% |
| 1983 | 3.9% | -14.0% |
| 1984 | 3.3% | -14.6% |
| 1985 | 3.6% | +10.2% |
| 1986 | 2.4% | -33.1% |
| 1987 | 2.3% | -4.3% |
| 1988 | 2.9% | +26.4% |
| 1989 | 4.1% | +37.4% |
| 1990 | 5.4% | +32.8% |
| 1991 | 8.1% | +50.8% |
| 1992 | 11.4% | +40.0% |
| 1993 | 14.9% | +31.6% |
| 1994 | 15.3% | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 16.5% | +7.8% |
| 1996 | 19.7% | +19.3% |
| 1997 | 20.8% | +5.5% |
| 1998 | 17.7% | -14.9% |
| 1999 | 18.5% | +5.0% |
| 2000 | 19.3% | +3.9% |
| 2001 | 20.5% | +6.6% |
| 2002 | 23.6% | +14.9% |
| 2003 | 26.4% | +12.0% |
| 2004 | 27.0% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 29.0% | +7.4% |
| 2006 | 28.5% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 29.6% | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 29.9% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 32.4% | +8.5% |
| 2010 | 34.0% | +4.7% |
| 2011 | 33.9% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 35.2% | +3.9% |
| 2013 | 37.4% | +6.1% |
| 2014 | 36.7% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 38.1% | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 38.5% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 40.8% | +6.0% |
| 2018 | 41.8% | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 41.1% | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 42.4% | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 40.6% | -4.1% |
| 2022 | 38.7% | -4.7% |
| 2023 | 35.1% | -9.3% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 35.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.7%, 6.2× the median. (71 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 35.1% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 35.9%, 98% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies … within 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 | +417.1% | 1.4% | 7.4% |
| 1962 | +333.5% | 0.3% | 1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.8% | 0.3% | 13.3% | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.7% | 1.7% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.7% | 2.3% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.8% | 5.4% | 20.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.6% | 19.3% | 32.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 37.8% | 33.9% | 41.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 39.2% | 35.1% | 42.4% | 4 |
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)
- Manufactures exports 88.0% (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in South Korea?
- Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in South Korea was 35.1% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 42.4% in 2020.
- What is the lowest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1960.
- How does South Korea rank for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region?
- South Korea ranks 48th out of 203 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region (% of total merchandise exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region are the sum of merchandise exports from the reporting economy to other low- and middle-income economies in the same World Bank region as a percentage of total merchandise exports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data. No figures are shown for high-income economies, because they are a separate category in the World Bank classification of economies.