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South Korea Budget balance (IMF) 2026: Interactive Chart & Historical Data

Budget balance (IMF) in South Korea stood at -2.3% of GDP in 2025, according to IMF. The latest value is up 0.3 percentage points from -2.6% of GDP in 2024. Ten years earlier, in 2015, the value was 1.1% of GDP (down 3.4 percentage points since). The highest value since 1995 was 3.9% of GDP in 2000, the lowest -2.6% of GDP in 2024. South Korea ranked 18th highest of the 52 countries in this dataset in 2025; Norway ranked first.

Data source: IMF · Unit: % of GDP · Category: Macroeconomics · Explore more indicators on EconDash

Data updated:Last checked:Frequency:AnnualCoverage:1980–2031
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What is Budget balance (IMF)?

Budget balance (IMF), measured in % of GDP, measures the government's fiscal obligations and borrowing levels in South Korea, serving as a critical indicator of fiscal sustainability, creditworthiness, and the capacity to finance public services and respond to crises. Government debt accumulates when spending exceeds revenues over time, requiring borrowing from domestic and international creditors through bond issuance. In South Korea, Budget balance (IMF) is typically expressed as a percentage of GDP to account for the economy's capacity to service the debt — a country with larger economic output can sustain higher debt levels than a smaller economy. Key considerations include debt composition (domestic vs foreign currency, short vs long-term), interest rates, and who holds the debt (domestic investors, foreign governments, central banks). Sustainable debt levels vary by country depending on institutional strength, growth prospects, and investor confidence, but ratios above 90-100% of GDP often raise concerns among credit rating agencies.

Key facts

What is the latest Budget balance (IMF) in South Korea?

Budget balance (IMF) in South Korea stood at -2.3% of GDP in 2025, according to IMF.

Is Budget balance (IMF) in South Korea rising or falling?

The latest value is up 0.3 percentage points from -2.6% of GDP in 2024. Ten years earlier, in 2015, the value was 1.1% of GDP (down 3.4 percentage points since).

How does South Korea rank for Budget balance (IMF)?

South Korea ranked 18th highest of the 52 countries in this dataset in 2025; Norway ranked first.

What is the highest Budget balance (IMF) on record in South Korea?

The highest value since 1995 was 3.9% of GDP in 2000, the lowest -2.6% of GDP in 2024.

Metadata for Budget balance (IMF) in South Korea
IndicatorBudget balance (IMF)
CountrySouth Korea
CategoryMacroeconomics
Unit% of GDP
SourceIMF
Interactive chartView on EconDash
API accessEconDash API documentation

Current level: -2.3% of GDP (2025)

IMF projection for 2026: -1.3% of GDP

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Source:International Monetary Fund via IMF — series GGXCNL_NGDP
License:IMF Copyright and Usage
Cite this chart
APA

International Monetary Fund. (2026). Budget balance (IMF) — South Korea [Data set]. Retrieved November 13, 2026, from EconDash: https://econdash.org/chart/budget-balance-imf/KOR. Original source: https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/GGXCNL_NGDP@WEO/WEOWORLD

MLA

International Monetary Fund. "Budget balance (IMF) — South Korea." EconDash, 2026, https://econdash.org/chart/budget-balance-imf/KOR. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026. Original source: https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/GGXCNL_NGDP@WEO/WEOWORLD.

Chicago

International Monetary Fund. 2026. "Budget balance (IMF) — South Korea." EconDash. Accessed November 13, 2026. https://econdash.org/chart/budget-balance-imf/KOR. Original source: https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/GGXCNL_NGDP@WEO/WEOWORLD.

BibTeX
@misc{econdash_budget_balance_imf_kor,
  author = {{International Monetary Fund}},
  title = {{Budget balance (IMF) --- South Korea}},
  howpublished = {EconDash},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://econdash.org/chart/budget-balance-imf/KOR},
  note = {Accessed: 2026-11-13. Original source: https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/GGXCNL\_NGDP@WEO/WEOWORLD}
}