South Korea's GDP Per Capita Seen Rising 7.6% in 2026 to About $39,000

According to Yonhap, South Korea's GDP per capita is projected to rise 7.6% from a year earlier in 2026 to about $39,000, marking the biggest annual increase in five years as exports led by memory chips remain robust. The estimate puts GDP per capita at $39,164 this year, up $2,750 from the previous year, based on financial authorities' data and the government's revised nominal GDP growth forecast of 12.3% for this year.

The calculation uses nominal GDP of 2,676.7 trillion won ($1,796 billion) in 2025, which was projected to reach 3,005.9 trillion won in 2026, and divides that by a population of 51.6 million. The forecast also assumes an average won-dollar exchange rate of 1,487.19 won per dollar this year. Analysts said South Korea's GDP per capita could top $40,000 for the first time if the won strengthens and the average exchange rate moves to 1,456.1 won per dollar. South Korea's GDP per capita was $35,359 in 2018, dropped to $33,652 in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then rose to $36,327 in 2024 and $36,414 in 2025. Last week, the government set policy goals including a 3% potential growth rate, top-four exporter status and raising gross national income per capita to $50,000. Senior finance ministry official Kang Gi-lyong said those export and GNI goals are highly achievable by 2030 if current trends continue and policy efforts are strengthened.