Asia-Pacific · World Bank + FRED data · updated Sep 28, 2026
South Korea economy forecast
For 2026 the model expects inflation of 2.3%, GDP growth of 2.1% and unemployment of 2.7% in South Korea.
Inflation
CPI, annual %
2.3%
2026 forecast
Latest · 2025: 2.1%▲ +0.1 pp
GDP growth
Annual %
2.1%
2026 forecast
Latest · 2025: 1.0%▲ +1.1 pp
Unemployment
% of labor force, ILO modeled
2.7%
2026 forecast
Latest · 2025: 2.7%■ 0.0 pp
GDP per capita
Current US$
$36,688
2026 forecast
Latest · 2025: $36,227▲ +1.3%
Population
Population, total
51.73M
2026 forecast
Latest · 2025: 51.68M▲ +0.1%
USD/KRW
KRW per 1 USD
1,398.9
in 12 months
Last close · Sep 25, 2026: 1,356.5▲ +3.1%
South Korea at a glance, 2026–2028
| Indicator | Latest | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflation | 2.1% 2025 | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2.3% |
| GDP growth | 1.0% 2025 | 2.1% | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| Unemployment | 2.7% 2025 | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% |
| GDP per capita | $36,227 2025 | $36,688 | $37,166 | $37,268 |
| Population | 51.68M 2025 | 51.73M | 51.64M | 51.78M |
Medians; each indicator's page shows its 80% range and backtest.
Other countries in Asia-Pacific
All countriesStatistical model, not financial advice. Forecasts are automatic outputs of TimesFM 2.5 on public data; outcomes land outside the 80% range about one time in five.