Real interest rate in Korea, Rep.
Korea, Rep.: Real interest rate was 1.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Real interest rate in Korea, Rep., 1996–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
Korea, Rep. recorded 1.0% for real interest rate in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 63.0% on the previous year and up 250.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, real interest rate in Korea, Rep. peaked at 10.9% in 1999 and was at its lowest, -0.3%, in 2021.
That places Korea, Rep. 117th out of 148 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.9% | 6.8% | 10.9% | 4 |
| 2000s | 4.1% | 2.1% | 7.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.8% | 0.3% | 4.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.4% | -0.3% | 3.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Korea, Rep.
- 114 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.2% compare
- 115 Czechia 1.1% compare
- 116 New Zealand 1.1% compare
- 118 Japan 1.0% compare
- 119 North Macedonia 0.8% compare
- 120 Netherlands 0.4% compare
More financial sector data for Korea, Rep.
- Domestic credit to private sector by banks 160.3% (2024)
- Total reserves in months of imports 6.46 (2025)
- Net domestic credit 5,011.74 trillion current LCU (2024)
- Net foreign assets 627.85 trillion current LCU (2024)
- Monetary Sector credit to private sector 160.3% (2024)
- Broad money 162.7% (2024)
- Claims on central government, etc. 3.4% (2024)
- Domestic credit to private sector 160.3% (2024)
- Official exchange rate 1,422 LCU per US$, period average (2025)
- Net migration 65,731 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is real interest rate in Korea, Rep.?
- Real interest rate in Korea, Rep. was 1.0% in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest real interest rate recorded in Korea, Rep.?
- The highest recorded value was 10.9% in 1999.
- What is the lowest real interest rate recorded in Korea, Rep.?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.3% in 2021.
- How does Korea, Rep. rank for real interest rate?
- Korea, Rep. ranks 117th out of 148 countries with data for 2025.
- Is real interest rate rising or falling in Korea, Rep.?
- Over the last ten years it is up 250.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Korea, Rep. data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Real interest rate (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
An interest rate is the amount charged, expressed as a percentage of the principal over a period of time, by the owners of certain kinds of financial assets for putting the financial assets at the disposal of another institutional unit. The real interest rate is the lending interest rate adjusted for inflation as measured by the GDP deflator. The terms and conditions attached to lending rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability. This indicator is expressed as a percentage (a÷b)*100.