Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World in South Korea
South Korea: Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World was 14.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World in South Korea, 1967–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for merchandise imports from economies in the arab world in South Korea is 14.4%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.1% on the previous year and down 38.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from economies in the arab world in South Korea peaked at 24.0% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 2.0%, in 1967.
That places South Korea 34th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 57 years of available data.
Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1967 | 2.0% | — |
| 1968 | 2.6% | +30.2% |
| 1969 | 3.9% | +49.8% |
| 1970 | 3.5% | -8.3% |
| 1971 | 5.2% | +48.1% |
| 1972 | 7.4% | +41.1% |
| 1973 | 5.7% | -22.5% |
| 1974 | 14.3% | +150.0% |
| 1975 | 16.5% | +15.5% |
| 1976 | 16.5% | -0.0% |
| 1977 | 16.3% | -1.5% |
| 1978 | 13.8% | -15.2% |
| 1979 | 14.3% | +3.4% |
| 1980 | 24.0% | +68.0% |
| 1981 | 22.1% | -8.1% |
| 1982 | 18.5% | -16.0% |
| 1983 | 16.1% | -12.9% |
| 1984 | 12.4% | -23.1% |
| 1985 | 10.1% | -18.6% |
| 1986 | 6.5% | -35.7% |
| 1987 | 6.9% | +6.3% |
| 1988 | 5.7% | -17.7% |
| 1989 | 6.7% | +17.5% |
| 1990 | 8.2% | +22.5% |
| 1991 | 7.6% | -7.1% |
| 1992 | 9.3% | +22.8% |
| 1993 | 9.1% | -2.9% |
| 1994 | 7.7% | -14.5% |
| 1995 | 7.7% | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 8.7% | +13.4% |
| 1997 | 10.3% | +18.5% |
| 1998 | 10.7% | +3.6% |
| 1999 | 10.5% | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 14.3% | +35.9% |
| 2001 | 14.8% | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 12.7% | -14.2% |
| 2003 | 13.9% | +9.2% |
| 2004 | 13.7% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 16.6% | +21.1% |
| 2006 | 18.4% | +10.9% |
| 2007 | 16.9% | -8.2% |
| 2008 | 21.3% | +25.7% |
| 2009 | 17.1% | -19.6% |
| 2010 | 17.2% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 20.4% | +18.9% |
| 2012 | 22.8% | +11.5% |
| 2013 | 23.2% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 21.6% | -7.0% |
| 2015 | 15.0% | -30.7% |
| 2016 | 12.1% | -19.4% |
| 2017 | 12.7% | +5.4% |
| 2018 | 15.1% | +19.0% |
| 2019 | 13.7% | -9.1% |
| 2020 | 9.4% | -31.5% |
| 2021 | 10.4% | +10.4% |
| 2022 | 14.9% | +43.1% |
| 2023 | 14.4% | -3.1% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 14.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.1%, 13.5× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 14.4% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.3%, 57.5× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | +150.0% | 5.7% | 14.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.8% | 2.0% | 3.9% | 3 |
| 1970s | 11.4% | 3.5% | 16.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.9% | 5.7% | 24.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.0% | 7.6% | 10.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.0% | 12.7% | 21.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.4% | 12.1% | 23.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.3% | 9.4% | 14.9% | 4 |
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)
- Merchandise imports 631.89 billion current US$ (2025)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from economies in the arab world in South Korea?
- Merchandise imports from economies in the arab world in South Korea was 14.4% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from economies in the arab world recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 24.0% in 1980.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from economies in the arab world recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.0% in 1967.
- How does South Korea rank for merchandise imports from economies in the arab world?
- South Korea ranks 34th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from economies in the arab world rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World (% of total merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 57 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from economies in the Arab World. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.