South Korea: Capital investment, percent of GDP

The latest value from 2025 is 29.13 percent, a decline from 29.97 percent in 2024. In comparison, the world average is 23.08 percent, based on data from 130 countries. Historically, the average for South Korea from 1960 to 2025 is 30.57 percent. The minimum value, 10.61 percent, was reached in 1960 while the maximum of 41.67 percent was recorded in 1991. See the global rankings or world map for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.

The capital investment in South Korea and other countries is calculated as the purchases of new plant and equipment by firms, as percent of GDP. A high number is good for long-term economic growth as current investment leads to greater future production.

Definition: Gross capital formation includes acquisitions less disposals of produced assets for purposes of fixed capital formation, inventories or valuables. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.