🇰🇷 South Korea National Debt Clock
Live tracker for South Korea government debt. The national debt currently stands at approximately $1.05 trillion, growing at $2K per second based on IMF fiscal deficit projections. Debt-to-GDP: 52%. Per-citizen share: $20,315.
Among the 135 governments tracked here, South Korea ranks 76th by debt-to-GDP, 15th by total debt and 34th by debt per person.
About South Korea's National Debt
South Korea historically ran low public debt, but an aging population and rising social-spending demands have pushed the ratio gradually higher. It remains well within sustainable territory for an advanced economy.
South Korea's debt-to-GDP ratio of 52% is moderate: higher than 41% of the 135 governments tracked here. No ratio is safe or dangerous on its own — whether a debt is sustainable depends on the interest rate on it, how fast the economy grows, the currency it is owed in and who holds it. By total government debt, South Korea ranks 15th of the 135 governments tracked here.
At the current borrowing rate of $2K per second, South Korea adds about $207 million to its government debt every day — roughly $75.7 billion per year. Each of South Korea's 52 million residents carries an individual share of approximately $20,315. That is above the world average of roughly $14,600 in government debt per person.
Figures are computed by Global Debt Clock by linear extrapolation from each country's baseline figure, named in the source line on this page (for most countries, the IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026). Actual debt changes through discrete bond issuances — these counters illustrate the approximate scale and pace of sovereign borrowing.
South Korea National Debt — Frequently Asked Questions
What is South Korea's national debt right now?
South Korea's national debt is approximately $1.05 trillion as of October 27, 2026, growing at $2K per second. Its debt-to-GDP ratio is 52% and each citizen's share is about $20,315.
How fast is South Korea's debt growing?
South Korea's government debt is growing at approximately $2K per second — about $207 million per day — derived from the IMF's projections for 2026.
What is South Korea's debt per capita?
Each of South Korea's 52 million residents carries a notional share of approximately $20,315 of the national debt.
What is South Korea's debt-to-GDP ratio?
South Korea's debt-to-GDP ratio is 52%. That is higher than 41% of the 135 governments tracked here.
Why is South Korea's government debt at this level?
South Korea historically ran low public debt, but an aging population and rising social-spending demands have pushed the ratio gradually higher. It remains well within sustainable territory for an advanced economy.
Compare South Korea vs another country
Live side-by-side debt comparisons — shareable cards for journalists and social.
Further reading
Other Asia-Pacific countries
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Data & Citation
Source: IMF WEO October 2026 (GGXWDG, end-2025 stock) · baseline anchored .
Methodology: debt = 986,347,678,994 + 2400 × seconds_since(2026-01-01)
Machine-readable data: /api/debt?c=kr (live JSON) · /data/debt.json (full dataset)
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