Taxes on goods and services in Korea

Korea: Taxes on goods and services was 17.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
17.0%
Change on year
up 5.6%
World rank
137th
of 156 countries
All-time high
48.6%
in 1975
All-time low
16.1%
in 2023
Years of data
53
1972–2024

Taxes on goods and services in Korea, 1972–2024

20304050197219982024

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of revenue.

Analysis

Korea recorded 17.0% for taxes on goods and services in 2024.

That represents a change of up 5.6% on the previous year and down 22.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, taxes on goods and services in Korea peaked at 48.6% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 16.1%, in 2023.

Korea ranks 137th of 156 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 53 years of available data.

Taxes on goods and services in Korea, year by year

Annual values for Taxes on goods and services (% of revenue) in Korea, 1972 to 2024.
Year % of revenue Change
1972 41.9%
1973 45.5% +8.8%
1974 47.1% +3.5%
1975 48.6% +3.2%
1976 44.9% -7.6%
1977 44.6% -0.8%
1978 42.9% -3.8%
1979 43.8% +2.2%
1980 45.9% +4.8%
1981 44.8% -2.6%
1982 44.6% -0.4%
1983 45.8% +2.7%
1984 45.0% -1.6%
1985 43.2% -4.0%
1986 42.8% -1.0%
1987 39.6% -7.6%
1988 38.4% -2.9%
1989 34.0% -11.5%
1990 35.4% +4.3%
1991 33.6% -5.1%
1992 35.0% +4.1%
1993 34.9% -0.4%
1994 34.6% -0.8%
1995 33.2% -4.1%
1996 33.5% +0.9%
1997 34.1% +1.8%
1998 28.7% -15.6%
1999 33.0% +14.8%
2000 30.3% -8.2%
2001 32.2% +6.2%
2002 32.2% +0.2%
2003 31.2% -3.1%
2004 30.3% -2.9%
2005 29.6% -2.4%
2006 27.9% -5.6%
2007 26.8% -3.9%
2008 26.7% -0.5%
2009 27.3% +2.3%
2010 28.1% +2.9%
2011 26.4% -6.2%
2012 22.5% -14.8%
2013 21.7% -3.6%
2014 21.8% +0.7%
2015 21.2% -2.6%
2016 21.9% +3.2%
2017 21.7% -0.8%
2018 21.1% -2.8%
2019 19.9% -5.8%
2020 19.6% -1.8%
2021 18.7% -4.4%
2022 16.9% -9.6%
2023 16.1% -4.7%
2024 17.0% +5.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 44.9% 41.9% 48.6% 8
1980s 42.4% 34.0% 45.9% 10
1990s 33.6% 28.7% 35.4% 10
2000s 29.4% 26.7% 32.2% 10
2010s 22.6% 19.9% 28.1% 10
2020s 17.6% 16.1% 19.6% 5

Countries ranked near Korea

  1. 134 Bhutan 17.9% compare
  2. 135 Australia 17.8% compare
  3. 136 United Arab Emirates 17.3% compare
  4. 138 Botswana 14.5% compare
  5. 139 Palau 14.2% compare
  6. 140 Gabon 14.0% compare

See the full ranking of 197 places →

More public sector data for Korea

All data for Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is taxes on goods and services in Korea?
Taxes on goods and services in Korea was 17.0% in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest taxes on goods and services recorded in Korea?
The highest recorded value was 48.6% in 1975.
What is the lowest taxes on goods and services recorded in Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 16.1% in 2023.
How does Korea rank for taxes on goods and services?
Korea ranks 137th out of 156 countries with data for 2024.
Is taxes on goods and services rising or falling in Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 22.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Korea data come from?
The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Taxes on goods and services (% of revenue). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Taxes on goods and services in Korea. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/taxes-on-goods-and-services-percent-of-revenue/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Taxes on goods and services (% of revenue)
Unit
% of revenue
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
197 places, 5,703 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

General taxes on goods and services are taxes levied on the production, leasing, delivery, sale, purchase or other change of ownership of a wide range of goods and the provision of a wide range of services. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of revenue which includes all transactions that add to the amount of economic value of a unit or sector.