Transport services in Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea: Transport services was 19.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Transport services in Republic of Korea, 1976–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of commercial service imports.
Analysis
In 2025, transport services in Republic of Korea stood at 19.5%. That is the lowest value across all 50 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.4% on the previous year and down 26.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, transport services in Republic of Korea peaked at 56.3% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 19.5%, in 2025.
That places Republic of Korea 152nd out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 50 years of available data.
Transport services in Republic of Korea, year by year
| Year | % of commercial service imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 54.4% | — |
| 1977 | 43.8% | -19.5% |
| 1978 | 37.4% | -14.7% |
| 1979 | 47.7% | +27.6% |
| 1980 | 56.3% | +18.2% |
| 1981 | 47.4% | -15.8% |
| 1982 | 43.2% | -8.8% |
| 1983 | 42.6% | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 39.6% | -6.9% |
| 1985 | 45.1% | +13.8% |
| 1986 | 48.0% | +6.6% |
| 1987 | 49.5% | +3.0% |
| 1988 | 44.5% | -10.2% |
| 1989 | 39.6% | -11.0% |
| 1990 | 40.1% | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 41.5% | +3.4% |
| 1992 | 42.2% | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 43.2% | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 39.9% | -7.6% |
| 1995 | 38.9% | -2.4% |
| 1996 | 36.0% | -7.5% |
| 1997 | 36.8% | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 39.8% | +8.2% |
| 1999 | 38.6% | -3.0% |
| 2000 | 34.7% | -10.2% |
| 2001 | 35.4% | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 32.6% | -7.9% |
| 2003 | 35.3% | +8.3% |
| 2004 | 36.4% | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 35.3% | -3.1% |
| 2006 | 34.2% | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 35.3% | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 38.6% | +9.3% |
| 2009 | 29.4% | -23.7% |
| 2010 | 31.6% | +7.4% |
| 2011 | 30.2% | -4.4% |
| 2012 | 29.2% | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 27.9% | -4.6% |
| 2014 | 28.0% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 26.6% | -4.9% |
| 2016 | 26.0% | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 24.2% | -6.7% |
| 2018 | 23.2% | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 22.3% | -3.6% |
| 2020 | 22.0% | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 23.1% | +5.2% |
| 2022 | 24.8% | +7.3% |
| 2023 | 21.7% | -12.4% |
| 2024 | 21.1% | -3.0% |
| 2025 | 19.5% | -7.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 45.8% | 37.4% | 54.4% | 4 |
| 1980s | 45.6% | 39.6% | 56.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 39.7% | 36.0% | 43.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 34.7% | 29.4% | 38.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.9% | 22.3% | 31.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.0% | 19.5% | 24.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Republic of Korea
- 149 Kosovo 20.0% compare
- 149 Kosovo (UNSCR 1244) 20.0% compare
- 151 New Zealand 19.8% compare
- 153 Philippines 19.5% compare
- 154 Cyprus 19.3% compare
- 155 Dominica 19.2% compare
More private sector data for Republic of 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 transport services in Republic of Korea?
- Transport services in Republic of Korea was 19.5% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest transport services recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 56.3% in 1980.
- What is the lowest transport services recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.5% in 2025.
- How does Republic of Korea rank for transport services?
- Republic of Korea ranks 152nd out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is transport services rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Republic of Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Transport services (% of commercial service imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Transport is the process of carriage of people and objects from one location to another as well as related supporting and auxiliary services. Also included are postal and courier services. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service imports which are commercial services provided by non-residents to residents.