Total healthcare spending as a share of GDP in South Korea
South Korea: Total healthcare spending as a share of GDP was 8.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Total healthcare spending as a share of GDP in South Korea, 2000–2023
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for total healthcare spending as a share of gdp in South Korea is 8.6%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 3.3% on the previous year and up 41.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total healthcare spending as a share of gdp in South Korea peaked at 8.9% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 2000.
That places South Korea 51st out of 195 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Total healthcare spending as a share of GDP in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3.7% | — |
| 2001 | 4.2% | +12.2% |
| 2002 | 3.9% | -6.3% |
| 2003 | 4.5% | +14.3% |
| 2004 | 4.4% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 4.7% | +4.9% |
| 2006 | 5.0% | +6.6% |
| 2007 | 5.0% | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 5.2% | +5.8% |
| 2009 | 5.7% | +8.4% |
| 2010 | 5.8% | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 5.9% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 6.0% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 6.1% | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 6.2% | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 6.5% | +3.5% |
| 2016 | 6.6% | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 6.8% | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 7.1% | +5.1% |
| 2019 | 7.7% | +7.7% |
| 2020 | 8.0% | +4.3% |
| 2021 | 8.3% | +3.9% |
| 2022 | 8.9% | +6.2% |
| 2023 | 8.6% | -3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.6% | 3.7% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.5% | 5.8% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.4% | 8.0% | 8.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More health data for South Korea
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.43 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.1935 % change on previous year (2090)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 2,072 (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 69 (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate -3.49 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.0497 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate -3.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.0523 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total healthcare spending as a share of gdp in South Korea?
- Total healthcare spending as a share of gdp in South Korea was 8.6% in 2023, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total healthcare spending as a share of gdp recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 8.9% in 2022.
- What is the lowest total healthcare spending as a share of gdp recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 2000.
- How does South Korea rank for total healthcare spending as a share of gdp?
- South Korea ranks 51st out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total healthcare spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 41.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Total healthcare spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total healthcare expenditure as the share of national gross domestic product (GDP).