Share of male sole proprietors (% of sole proprietors) in South Korea
South Korea: Share of male sole proprietors (% of sole proprietors) was 53.1% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Share of male sole proprietors in South Korea, 2014–2023
Source: World Bank's Entrepreneurship Survey and database (https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/entrepreneurship). Downloaded on May 2, 2026. Measured in % of sole proprietors.
Analysis
In 2023, share of male sole proprietors in South Korea stood at 53.1%. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of male sole proprietors in South Korea peaked at 53.1% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 51.2%, in 2018.
South Korea ranks 66th of 78 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Share of male sole proprietors (% of sole proprietors) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % of sole proprietors | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 52.6% | — |
| 2015 | 51.8% | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 51.7% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 51.5% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 51.2% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 51.8% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 51.6% | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 51.7% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 52.6% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 53.1% | +0.9% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 53.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 61.8%, 86% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 53.1% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 55.2%, 96% of the median. (10 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 51.8% | 51.2% | 52.6% | 6 |
| 2020s | 52.3% | 51.6% | 53.1% | 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 share of male sole proprietors in South Korea?
- Share of male sole proprietors in South Korea was 53.1% in 2023, according to World Bank's Entrepreneurship Survey and database (https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/entrepreneurship). Downloaded on May 2, 2026.
- What is the highest share of male sole proprietors recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 53.1% in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of male sole proprietors recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.2% in 2018.
- How does South Korea rank for share of male sole proprietors?
- South Korea ranks 66th out of 78 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of male sole proprietors rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank's Entrepreneurship Survey and database (https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/entrepreneurship). Downloaded on May 2, 2026, published as part of Share of male sole proprietors (% of sole proprietors). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Share of male sole proprietors is the proportion of male newly registered sole proprietors out of the total number of newly registered sole proprietors in the economy in the calendar year. A sole proprietorship is a business entity owned and managed by a single individual who is indistinguishable from the business and personally liable.