International debt issues to GDP in Korea

Korea: International debt issues to GDP was 13.8% in 2020. β—† Volatile

Latest (2020)
13.8%
Change on year
up 4.1%
World rank
78th
of 116 countries
All-time high
13.8%
in 2020
All-time low
0.5%
in 1983
Years of data
38
1983–2020

International debt issues to GDP in Korea, 1983–2020

0510151983200120201983: 0.541 %1984: 1.2 %1985: 2.7 %1986: 3.3 %1987: 3.5 %1988: 2.4 %1989: 1.8 %1990: 1.6 %1991: 2.2 %1992: 2.8 %1993: 3.8 %1994: 4.2 %1995: 4.8 %1996: 7 %1997: 8.9 %1998: 13.8 %1999: 10 %2000: 8.6 %2001: 8.5 %2002: 8.4 %2003: 8.7 %2004: 8.9 %2005: 8.6 %2006: 9.2 %2007: 9.4 %2008: 10.1 %2009: 13.2 %2010: 11.7 %2011: 12.1 %2012: 12.9 %2013: 13.3 %2014: 12.5 %2015: 12 %2016: 11.6 %2017: 11.4 %2018: 11.6 %2019: 13.3 %2020: 13.8 %

Source: Bank for International Settlements (BIS). Measured in %.

Analysis

Korea recorded 13.8% for international debt issues to gdp in 2020. That is the highest value across all 38 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.1% on the previous year and up 17.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, international debt issues to gdp in Korea peaked at 13.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 1983.

Korea ranks 78th of 116 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 2.2% 0.5% 3.5% 7
1990s 5.9% 1.6% 13.8% 10
2000s 9.4% 8.4% 13.2% 10
2010s 12.2% 11.4% 13.3% 10
2020s 13.8% 13.8% 13.8% 1

Countries ranked near Korea

  1. 75 Seychelles 15.0% compare
  2. 76 Japan 14.3% compare
  3. 77 Georgia 14.2% compare
  4. 79 Ukraine 13.7% compare
  5. 80 Serbia 13.6% compare
  6. 81 Costa Rica 13.3% compare

See the full ranking of 116 places β†’

More financial sector data for Korea

All data for Korea β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is international debt issues to gdp in Korea?
International debt issues to gdp in Korea was 13.8% in 2020, according to Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
What is the highest international debt issues to gdp recorded in Korea?
The highest recorded value was 13.8% in 2020.
What is the lowest international debt issues to gdp recorded in Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 1983.
How does Korea rank for international debt issues to gdp?
Korea ranks 78th out of 116 countries with data for 2020.
Is international debt issues to gdp rising or falling in Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Korea data come from?
The figures come from Bank for International Settlements (BIS), published as part of International debt issues to GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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International debt issues to GDP in Korea. Statizoid, drawing on Bank for International Settlements (BIS). Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://financial-sector.statizoid.com/stat/international-debt-issues-to-gdp-percent/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
International debt issues to GDP (%)
Unit
%
Source
Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
116 places, 2,874 data points, 1980–2020
Last refreshed

Total value of outstanding international debt issues both public and private, as a share of GDP. Offshore bank loan data from BIS Statistical Appendix Table 12A (Amount Outstanding): International debt securities - all issuers.