External balance on goods and services in South Korea
South Korea: External balance on goods and services was 137.55 trillion current LCU in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in South Korea, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in current LCU.
Analysis
In 2025, external balance on goods and services in South Korea stood at 137.55 trillion current LCU. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 32.0% on the previous year and up 20.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in South Korea peaked at 137.55 trillion current LCU in 2025 and was at its lowest, -16.81 trillion current LCU, in 1996.
That places South Korea 3rd out of 192 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -98.28 billion current LCU | -262.00 billion current LCU | -23.30 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 1970s | -713.52 billion current LCU | -2.39 trillion current LCU | -210.20 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.22 trillion current LCU | -3.74 trillion current LCU | 8.93 trillion current LCU | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.90 trillion current LCU | -16.81 trillion current LCU | 56.48 trillion current LCU | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.23 trillion current LCU | -4.68 trillion current LCU | 48.91 trillion current LCU | 10 |
| 2010s | 68.43 trillion current LCU | 12.78 trillion current LCU | 115.96 trillion current LCU | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.98 trillion current LCU | 106.30 billion current LCU | 137.55 trillion current LCU | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More economy & growth data for South Korea
- DEC alternative conversion factor 1,422 LCU per US$ (2025)
- Net secondary income (Net current transfers from abroad) -6.93 trillion current LCU (2025)
- Net secondary income (Net current transfers from abroad) -4.87 billion current US$ (2025)
- Taxes less subsidies on products 185.85 trillion current LCU (2025)
- Taxes less subsidies on products 130.66 billion current US$ (2025)
- Net primary income (Net income from abroad) 45.76 trillion current LCU (2025)
- Net primary income (Net income from abroad) 32.17 billion current US$ (2025)
- GNI per capita 52.42 million current LCU (2025)
- GNI per capita, Atlas method 37,880 current US$ (2025)
- GNI 2,709.10 trillion current LCU (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in South Korea?
- External balance on goods and services in South Korea was 137.55 trillion current LCU in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest external balance on goods and services recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 137.55 trillion current LCU in 2025.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was -16.81 trillion current LCU in 1996.
- How does South Korea rank for external balance on goods and services?
- South Korea ranks 3rd out of 192 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of External balance on goods and services (current LCU). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The balance of international trade in goods and services is the difference between the exports and imports of goods and services. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.