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MacroSouth Korea

Government debt in South Korea

How indebted is the state my taxes would go to?

South Korea's government debt is 52.30 % — #59 of 124 countries on the atlas (lower is better). Period 2025.

52.30%

Checked 8 Sept 2026Period 2025

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook (general government gross debt, % of GDP)

The central government owes about 0.5 years' worth of the country's entire economic output.

Government debt in South Korea over time

52.30 %30.05 %7.80 %7.80 % · 19961990: 12.80 %1991: 11.90 %1992: 11.60 %1993: 10.90 %1994: 9.60 %1995: 8.50 %1996: 7.80 %1997: 9.70 %1998: 13.80 %1999: 15.80 %2000: 16.10 %2001: 16.60 %2002: 16.40 %2003: 19.10 %2004: 21.60 %2005: 24.90 %2006: 27.00 %2007: 26.30 %2008: 25.90 %2009: 28.80 %2010: 28.30 %2011: 31.70 %2012: 33.50 %2013: 36.00 %2014: 37.90 %2015: 38.80 %2016: 39.10 %2017: 38.00 %2018: 37.90 %2019: 39.70 %2020: 45.90 %2021: 48.00 %2022: 49.80 %2023: 50.50 %2024: 49.70 %2025: 52.30 %19902008202552.30 %
36 official observations, 1990 → 2025. Every point is a published value — never interpolated.
Rank
#59 of 124
lower is better
Ranked behind
52 %
65 of 124 countries
Latest move
▲ 2.60 pp
since 2024
Full series
▲ 39.50 pp
since 1990

In Asia: #23 of 37vs median 54.55 %: −2.25 pp (better)

Among 124 countries

5 of 124 countries between 12.30 % and 17.86 %4 of 124 countries between 17.86 % and 23.42 %9 of 124 countries between 23.42 % and 28.97 %9 of 124 countries between 28.97 % and 34.53 %9 of 124 countries between 34.53 % and 40.09 %11 of 124 countries between 40.09 % and 45.65 %8 of 124 countries between 45.65 % and 51.21 %11 of 124 countries between 51.21 % and 56.77 %8 of 124 countries between 56.77 % and 62.32 %7 of 124 countries between 62.32 % and 67.88 %6 of 124 countries between 67.88 % and 73.44 %5 of 124 countries between 73.44 % and 79.00 %6 of 124 countries between 79.00 % and 84.56 %7 of 124 countries between 84.56 % and 90.12 %2 of 124 countries between 90.12 % and 95.67 %3 of 124 countries between 95.67 % and 101.23 %4 of 124 countries between 101.23 % and 106.79 %1 of 124 countries between 106.79 % and 112.35 %2 of 124 countries between 112.35 % and 117.91 %1 of 124 countries between 123.47 % and 129.02 %2 of 124 countries between 134.58 % and 140.14 %4 of 124 countries between 140.14 % and 145.70 %median 54.40 %South Korea: ahead of 52 % of the 124 countries with a published government debtSouth Korea 52.30 %12.30 %145.70 %
Half of all 124 countries sit between 36.00 % and 80.30 %. South Korea is ahead of 52 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 5 values beyond it sit in the end bars.

The neighbourhood

#CountryGovernment debtvs South Korea
57 Myanmar51.90 %−0.40 pp
58 Papua New Guinea52.10 %−0.20 pp
59 South Korea52.30 %—
60 Iraq53.90 %+1.60 pp
61 Algeria54.10 %+1.80 pp

General government gross debt as a share of GDP (IMF World Economic Outlook, annual).

How to read this figure

Central government debt as a share of GDP (World Bank). General government debt (including local government and social funds) can be meaningfully higher; comparisons across countries are indicative.

Next, about South Korea

Debt per personGDP growthInflation rate
Government debt, all countries ranked →Compare South Korea with another country →Everything about South Korea →
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