Interest rate spread in South Korea
South Korea: Interest rate spread was 1.5% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Interest rate spread in South Korea, 1996–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in lending rate minus deposit rate, %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for interest rate spread in South Korea is 1.5%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 17.1% on the previous year and down 15.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, interest rate spread in South Korea peaked at 2.2% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 2000.
That places South Korea 124th out of 140 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Interest rate spread in South Korea, year by year
| Year | lending rate minus deposit rate, % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1.0% | — |
| 1997 | 1.1% | +11.8% |
| 1998 | 2.0% | +85.8% |
| 1999 | 1.4% | -27.3% |
| 2000 | 0.6% | -58.1% |
| 2001 | 1.9% | +215.8% |
| 2002 | 1.8% | -5.0% |
| 2003 | 2.0% | +9.1% |
| 2004 | 2.0% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 1.9% | -7.8% |
| 2006 | 1.5% | -20.7% |
| 2007 | 1.4% | -7.2% |
| 2008 | 1.3% | -5.8% |
| 2009 | 2.2% | +67.0% |
| 2010 | 1.7% | -23.6% |
| 2011 | 1.6% | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 1.7% | +5.6% |
| 2013 | 1.8% | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 1.7% | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 1.7% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 1.8% | +5.0% |
| 2017 | 1.8% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 1.6% | -9.4% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 1.6% | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 1.7% | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 1.2% | -30.6% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | +14.9% |
| 2024 | 1.2% | -7.4% |
| 2025 | 1.5% | +17.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.4% | 1.0% | 2.0% | 4 |
| 2000s | 1.7% | 0.6% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 121 Switzerland 2.0% compare
- 122 Chile 1.5% compare
- 123 New Zealand 1.5% compare
- 125 Oman 1.3% compare
- 126 Benin 0.9% compare
- 126 Burkina Faso 0.9% compare
More financial sector data for South Korea
- Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR), annual growth rate -2.07 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR), per unit of GDP 0.1572 SDR per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR), per capita 5,693 SDR per person (2025)
- Reserves excluding gold (SDR), annual growth rate -1.88 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserves excluding gold (SDR), per capita 5,961 SDR per person (2025)
- Total reserves (gold at market value) (SDR), annual growth rate -0.594 % change on previous year (2025)
- Total reserves (gold at market value) (SDR), per capita 6,168 SDR per person (2025)
- Total reserves (gold at national valuation) (SDR), annual growth rate -1.91 % change on previous year (2025)
- Total reserves (gold at national valuation) (SDR), per capita 6,028 SDR per person (2025)
- Total reserves in months of imports, annual growth rate 4.27 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is interest rate spread in South Korea?
- Interest rate spread in South Korea was 1.5% in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest interest rate spread recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 2.2% in 2009.
- What is the lowest interest rate spread recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 2000.
- How does South Korea rank for interest rate spread?
- South Korea ranks 124th out of 140 countries with data for 2025.
- Is interest rate spread rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Interest rate spread is the interest rate charged by banks on loans to private sector customers minus the interest rate paid by commercial or similar banks for demand, time, or savings deposits. The terms and conditions attached to these rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability.