Stock market return (%, year-on-year) in Korea
Korea: Stock market return (%, year-on-year) was 4.7% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Stock market return in Korea, 1984–2021
Source: Bloomberg. Measured in %, year-on-year.
Analysis
In 2021, stock market return in Korea stood at 4.7%.
The figure is down 87.3% on the previous year and up 404.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, stock market return in Korea peaked at 71.9% in 1985 and was at its lowest, -35.7%, in 1995.
That places Korea 71st out of 86 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Stock market return (%, year-on-year) in Korea, year by year
| Year | %, year-on-year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 21.5% | — |
| 1985 | 71.9% | +234.9% |
| 1986 | 71.1% | -1.1% |
| 1987 | 48.7% | -31.5% |
| 1988 | 25.8% | -47.0% |
| 1989 | -17.7% | -168.7% |
| 1990 | -12.8% | -27.8% |
| 1991 | -6.0% | -53.1% |
| 1992 | 1.7% | -128.2% |
| 1993 | 27.0% | +1492.2% |
| 1994 | 22.8% | -15.5% |
| 1995 | -35.7% | -256.4% |
| 1996 | 27.7% | -177.6% |
| 1997 | 1.1% | -96.0% |
| 1998 | 23.0% | +1977.8% |
| 1999 | 31.5% | +37.3% |
| 2000 | 2.6% | -91.8% |
| 2001 | 29.2% | +1027.1% |
| 2002 | -0.5% | -101.7% |
| 2003 | -29.6% | +5726.2% |
| 2004 | 25.3% | -185.6% |
| 2005 | 10.3% | -59.4% |
| 2006 | 19.1% | +85.5% |
| 2007 | -5.4% | -128.2% |
| 2008 | 0.5% | -109.1% |
| 2009 | 1.2% | +137.9% |
| 2010 | 1.3% | +11.0% |
| 2011 | 0.9% | -26.9% |
| 2012 | 1.5% | +56.6% |
| 2013 | -2.5% | -272.8% |
| 2014 | 2.9% | -215.8% |
| 2015 | 15.2% | +416.6% |
| 2016 | 4.4% | -70.8% |
| 2017 | -10.9% | -344.8% |
| 2018 | -4.2% | -61.6% |
| 2019 | 1.2% | -127.9% |
| 2020 | 37.4% | +3119.5% |
| 2021 | 4.7% | -87.3% |
Korea compared with similar countries
- Korea's 4.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 23.7%, 20% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
- Korea's 4.7% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 14.1%, 34% of the median. (14 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Stock market return (%, year-on-year) in 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | -5726.2% | -0.5% | -29.6% |
| 2020 | +3119.5% | 1.2% | 37.4% |
| 1998 | +1977.8% | 1.1% | 23.0% |
| 1993 | +1492.2% | 1.7% | 27.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 36.9% | -17.7% | 71.9% | 6 |
| 1990s | 8.0% | -35.7% | 31.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.3% | -29.6% | 29.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.0% | -10.9% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.1% | 4.7% | 37.4% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Korea
More financial sector data for 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 stock market return in Korea?
- Stock market return in Korea was 4.7% in 2021, according to Bloomberg.
- What is the highest stock market return recorded in Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 71.9% in 1985.
- What is the lowest stock market return recorded in Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was -35.7% in 1995.
- How does Korea rank for stock market return?
- Korea ranks 71st out of 86 countries with data for 2021.
- Is stock market return rising or falling in Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 404.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Bloomberg, published as part of Stock market return (%, year-on-year). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Stock market return is the growth rate of annual average stock market index. Annual average stock market index is constructed by taking the average of the daily stock market indexes available at Bloomberg.