Merchandise imports in South Korea
South Korea: Merchandise imports was 631.89 billion current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
631.89 billion current US$
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
12th
of 206 countries
All-time high
731.37 billion current US$
in 2022
All-time low
316.00 million current US$
in 1961
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Merchandise imports in South Korea, 1960–2025
Source: World Trade Organization (WTO). Measured in current US$.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 631.89 billion current US$ for merchandise imports in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 44.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports in South Korea peaked at 731.37 billion current US$ in 2022 and was at its lowest, 316.00 million current US$, in 1961.
That places South Korea 12th out of 206 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise imports in South Korea, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 344.00 million current US$ | — |
| 1961 | 316.00 million current US$ | -8.1% |
| 1962 | 422.00 million current US$ | +33.5% |
| 1963 | 560.00 million current US$ | +32.7% |
| 1964 | 404.00 million current US$ | -27.9% |
| 1965 | 463.00 million current US$ | +14.6% |
| 1966 | 716.00 million current US$ | +54.6% |
| 1967 | 996.00 million current US$ | +39.1% |
| 1968 | 1.46 billion current US$ | +46.9% |
| 1969 | 1.82 billion current US$ | +24.7% |
| 1970 | 1.98 billion current US$ | +8.8% |
| 1971 | 2.39 billion current US$ | +20.7% |
| 1972 | 2.52 billion current US$ | +5.3% |
| 1973 | 4.24 billion current US$ | +68.1% |
| 1974 | 6.85 billion current US$ | +61.6% |
| 1975 | 7.27 billion current US$ | +6.2% |
| 1976 | 8.77 billion current US$ | +20.6% |
| 1977 | 10.81 billion current US$ | +23.2% |
| 1978 | 14.97 billion current US$ | +38.5% |
| 1979 | 20.34 billion current US$ | +35.8% |
| 1980 | 22.29 billion current US$ | +9.6% |
| 1981 | 26.13 billion current US$ | +17.2% |
| 1982 | 24.25 billion current US$ | -7.2% |
| 1983 | 26.19 billion current US$ | +8.0% |
| 1984 | 30.63 billion current US$ | +16.9% |
| 1985 | 31.14 billion current US$ | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 31.59 billion current US$ | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 41.02 billion current US$ | +29.9% |
| 1988 | 51.81 billion current US$ | +26.3% |
| 1989 | 61.47 billion current US$ | +18.6% |
| 1990 | 69.84 billion current US$ | +13.6% |
| 1991 | 81.53 billion current US$ | +16.7% |
| 1992 | 81.78 billion current US$ | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 83.80 billion current US$ | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 102.35 billion current US$ | +22.1% |
| 1995 | 135.12 billion current US$ | +32.0% |
| 1996 | 150.34 billion current US$ | +11.3% |
| 1997 | 144.62 billion current US$ | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 93.28 billion current US$ | -35.5% |
| 1999 | 119.75 billion current US$ | +28.4% |
| 2000 | 160.48 billion current US$ | +34.0% |
| 2001 | 141.10 billion current US$ | -12.1% |
| 2002 | 152.13 billion current US$ | +7.8% |
| 2003 | 178.83 billion current US$ | +17.6% |
| 2004 | 224.46 billion current US$ | +25.5% |
| 2005 | 261.24 billion current US$ | +16.4% |
| 2006 | 309.38 billion current US$ | +18.4% |
| 2007 | 356.85 billion current US$ | +15.3% |
| 2008 | 435.27 billion current US$ | +22.0% |
| 2009 | 323.08 billion current US$ | -25.8% |
| 2010 | 425.21 billion current US$ | +31.6% |
| 2011 | 524.41 billion current US$ | +23.3% |
| 2012 | 519.59 billion current US$ | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 515.58 billion current US$ | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 525.56 billion current US$ | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 436.50 billion current US$ | -16.9% |
| 2016 | 406.19 billion current US$ | -6.9% |
| 2017 | 478.48 billion current US$ | +17.8% |
| 2018 | 535.20 billion current US$ | +11.9% |
| 2019 | 503.34 billion current US$ | -6.0% |
| 2020 | 467.63 billion current US$ | -7.1% |
| 2021 | 615.09 billion current US$ | +31.5% |
| 2022 | 731.37 billion current US$ | +18.9% |
| 2023 | 642.57 billion current US$ | -12.1% |
| 2024 | 631.77 billion current US$ | -1.7% |
| 2025 | 631.89 billion current US$ | +0.0% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 631.89 billion current US$ is above the median for high income countries, which is 44.50 billion current US$, 14.2× the median. (77 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 631.89 billion current US$ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.62 billion current US$, 136.8× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 750.80 million current US$ | 316.00 million current US$ | 1.82 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.02 billion current US$ | 1.98 billion current US$ | 20.34 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 34.65 billion current US$ | 22.29 billion current US$ | 61.47 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 106.24 billion current US$ | 69.84 billion current US$ | 150.34 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 254.28 billion current US$ | 141.10 billion current US$ | 435.27 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 487.01 billion current US$ | 406.19 billion current US$ | 535.20 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 620.05 billion current US$ | 467.63 billion current US$ | 731.37 billion current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More private sector data for South Korea
- Merchandise trade 71.6% (2025)
- Food imports 6.3% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 60.1% (2024)
- Food exports 1.6% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 87.3% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 709.33 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)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 3.76 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 12,226 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports in South Korea?
- Merchandise imports in South Korea was 631.89 billion current US$ in 2025, according to World Trade Organization (WTO).
- What is the highest merchandise imports recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 731.37 billion current US$ in 2022.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 316.00 million current US$ in 1961.
- How does South Korea rank for merchandise imports?
- South Korea ranks 12th out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is merchandise imports rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 44.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from World Trade Organization (WTO), published as part of Merchandise imports (current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Merchandise imports includes goods whose economic ownership is changed from a non-resident to a 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. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.