Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in South Korea
South Korea: Travel services (% of commercial service exports) was 14.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Travel services in South Korea, 1976–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of commercial service exports.
Analysis
In 2025, travel services in South Korea stood at 14.9%.
The figure is up 8.2% on the previous year and down 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, travel services in South Korea peaked at 35.5% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 7.2%, in 1982.
That places South Korea 158th out of 198 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.
Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % of commercial service exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 20.9% | — |
| 1977 | 14.6% | -30.0% |
| 1978 | 10.9% | -25.7% |
| 1979 | 8.2% | -24.4% |
| 1980 | 7.6% | -7.7% |
| 1981 | 7.5% | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 7.2% | -3.9% |
| 1983 | 9.0% | +24.7% |
| 1984 | 10.1% | +11.9% |
| 1985 | 13.8% | +37.2% |
| 1986 | 25.7% | +85.7% |
| 1987 | 27.3% | +6.5% |
| 1988 | 35.1% | +28.6% |
| 1989 | 35.5% | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 30.7% | -13.6% |
| 1991 | 26.3% | -14.3% |
| 1992 | 23.3% | -11.2% |
| 1993 | 21.8% | -6.6% |
| 1994 | 19.1% | -12.2% |
| 1995 | 21.7% | +13.5% |
| 1996 | 20.2% | -7.1% |
| 1997 | 17.3% | -14.3% |
| 1998 | 25.9% | +49.8% |
| 1999 | 24.9% | -3.8% |
| 2000 | 21.5% | -13.6% |
| 2001 | 21.4% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 19.8% | -7.5% |
| 2003 | 15.5% | -21.7% |
| 2004 | 13.8% | -10.9% |
| 2005 | 11.8% | -14.6% |
| 2006 | 10.3% | -12.7% |
| 2007 | 8.7% | -15.1% |
| 2008 | 10.8% | +23.9% |
| 2009 | 13.7% | +26.3% |
| 2010 | 12.5% | -8.5% |
| 2011 | 13.8% | +10.4% |
| 2012 | 13.0% | -5.8% |
| 2013 | 14.1% | +8.2% |
| 2014 | 15.8% | +11.8% |
| 2015 | 15.3% | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 18.0% | +17.2% |
| 2017 | 15.1% | -16.2% |
| 2018 | 18.0% | +19.7% |
| 2019 | 20.3% | +12.4% |
| 2020 | 12.2% | -39.6% |
| 2021 | 9.6% | -21.2% |
| 2022 | 10.0% | +4.0% |
| 2023 | 13.1% | +30.3% |
| 2024 | 13.7% | +5.2% |
| 2025 | 14.9% | +8.2% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 14.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 27.1%, 55% of the median. (72 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 14.9% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 48.6%, 31% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 13.7% | 8.2% | 20.9% | 4 |
| 1980s | 17.9% | 7.2% | 35.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.1% | 17.3% | 30.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.7% | 8.7% | 21.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.6% | 12.5% | 20.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.3% | 9.6% | 14.9% | 6 |
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 travel services in South Korea?
- Travel services in South Korea was 14.9% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest travel services recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 35.5% in 1989.
- What is the lowest travel services recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.2% in 1982.
- How does South Korea rank for travel services?
- South Korea ranks 158th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is travel services rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Travel services (% of commercial service exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Travel services cover goods and services for own use or to give away acquired from an economy by nonresidents during visits to that economy, or acquired from other economies by residents during visits to these other economies. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service exports which are commercial services provided by residents to non-residents.