Domestic credit to private sector (% of GDP) (World Development) in South Korea
South Korea: Domestic credit to private sector (% of GDP) (World Development) was 164.8% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Domestic credit to private sector in South Korea, 1960–2020
Source: World Development Indicators (WDI), World Bank. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 164.8% for domestic credit to private sector in 2020. That is the highest value across all 61 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.9% on the previous year and up 26.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, domestic credit to private sector in South Korea peaked at 164.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 5.7%, in 1960.
That places South Korea 7th out of 187 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Domestic credit to private sector (% of GDP) (World Development) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.7% | — |
| 1961 | 12.0% | +109.6% |
| 1962 | 12.7% | +5.6% |
| 1963 | 10.5% | -17.1% |
| 1964 | 8.8% | -16.3% |
| 1965 | 10.2% | +15.9% |
| 1966 | 11.1% | +8.9% |
| 1967 | 16.8% | +50.9% |
| 1968 | 25.5% | +51.6% |
| 1969 | 31.9% | +25.2% |
| 1970 | 32.9% | +3.0% |
| 1971 | 34.9% | +6.3% |
| 1972 | 34.3% | -1.9% |
| 1973 | 34.4% | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 36.2% | +5.3% |
| 1975 | 33.7% | -6.9% |
| 1976 | 30.8% | -8.7% |
| 1977 | 30.1% | -2.2% |
| 1978 | 32.8% | +9.1% |
| 1979 | 35.4% | +8.0% |
| 1980 | 40.4% | +13.9% |
| 1981 | 40.8% | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 44.2% | +8.4% |
| 1983 | 43.7% | -1.2% |
| 1984 | 43.3% | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 45.8% | +6.0% |
| 1986 | 45.2% | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 45.8% | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 43.9% | -4.2% |
| 1989 | 48.6% | +10.8% |
| 1990 | 50.8% | +4.4% |
| 1991 | 50.4% | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 48.9% | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 48.8% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 49.3% | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 48.6% | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 51.9% | +6.7% |
| 1997 | 56.7% | +9.2% |
| 1998 | 61.8% | +9.0% |
| 1999 | 66.8% | +8.2% |
| 2000 | 71.7% | +7.3% |
| 2001 | 103.2% | +43.9% |
| 2002 | 112.7% | +9.1% |
| 2003 | 111.1% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 105.9% | -4.7% |
| 2005 | 110.3% | +4.2% |
| 2006 | 122.2% | +10.8% |
| 2007 | 129.1% | +5.7% |
| 2008 | 141.9% | +9.9% |
| 2009 | 138.1% | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 130.0% | -5.8% |
| 2011 | 132.5% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 130.7% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 128.5% | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 131.6% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 132.1% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 134.8% | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 136.5% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 141.2% | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 151.3% | +7.2% |
| 2020 | 164.8% | +8.9% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 164.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 82.3%, 2.0× the median. (61 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 164.8% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 105.2%, 1.6× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Domestic credit to private sector (% of GDP) (World Development) in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | +109.6% | 5.7% | 12.0% |
| 1968 | +51.6% | 16.8% | 25.5% |
| 1967 | +50.9% | 11.1% | 16.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 14.5% | 5.7% | 31.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 33.5% | 30.1% | 36.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 44.2% | 40.4% | 48.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 53.4% | 48.6% | 66.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 114.6% | 71.7% | 141.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 134.9% | 128.5% | 151.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 164.8% | 164.8% | 164.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More financial sector data for South Korea
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 6.29 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0016 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 58.67 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 1.21 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0012 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 42.84 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 6.29 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0016 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 58.67 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 1.21 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is domestic credit to private sector in South Korea?
- Domestic credit to private sector in South Korea was 164.8% in 2020, according to World Development Indicators (WDI), World Bank.
- What is the highest domestic credit to private sector recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 164.8% in 2020.
- What is the lowest domestic credit to private sector recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.7% in 1960.
- How does South Korea rank for domestic credit to private sector?
- South Korea ranks 7th out of 187 countries with data for 2020.
- Is domestic credit to private sector rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from World Development Indicators (WDI), World Bank, published as part of Domestic credit to private sector (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Domestic credit to private sector refers to financial resources provided to the private sector, such as through loans, purchases of nonequity securities, and trade credits and other accounts receivable, that establish a claim for repayment. For some countries these claims include credit to public enterprises.