Ores and metals imports in Korea
Korea: Ores and metals imports was 6.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Ores and metals imports in Korea, 1962–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2024, ores and metals imports in Korea stood at 6.7%.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and down 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ores and metals imports in Korea peaked at 8.9% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 2.6%, in 1962.
Korea ranks 13th of 196 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Ores and metals imports in Korea, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 2.6% | — |
| 1963 | 3.0% | +16.4% |
| 1964 | 3.1% | +1.6% |
| 1965 | 4.2% | +35.8% |
| 1966 | 4.0% | -4.1% |
| 1967 | 4.6% | +14.2% |
| 1968 | 4.1% | -11.0% |
| 1969 | 4.9% | +20.4% |
| 1970 | 5.7% | +17.3% |
| 1971 | 4.6% | -19.6% |
| 1972 | 3.6% | -21.7% |
| 1973 | 4.9% | +36.0% |
| 1974 | 6.3% | +27.1% |
| 1975 | 4.7% | -25.4% |
| 1976 | 5.2% | +10.8% |
| 1977 | 5.6% | +8.1% |
| 1978 | 5.1% | -8.9% |
| 1979 | 5.4% | +6.6% |
| 1980 | 5.8% | +7.1% |
| 1981 | 5.4% | -6.7% |
| 1982 | 5.6% | +3.7% |
| 1983 | 5.6% | -1.1% |
| 1984 | 5.3% | -4.6% |
| 1985 | 5.3% | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 6.2% | +17.5% |
| 1987 | 6.7% | +6.7% |
| 1988 | 7.6% | +13.8% |
| 1989 | 7.7% | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 6.6% | -14.2% |
| 1991 | 6.4% | -3.8% |
| 1992 | 5.8% | -9.8% |
| 1993 | 6.3% | +9.7% |
| 1994 | 6.0% | -4.4% |
| 1995 | 6.3% | +3.8% |
| 1996 | 5.1% | -18.1% |
| 1997 | 5.8% | +12.5% |
| 1998 | 6.7% | +16.8% |
| 1999 | 6.2% | -8.4% |
| 2000 | 5.5% | -10.8% |
| 2001 | 5.7% | +3.8% |
| 2002 | 5.4% | -5.0% |
| 2003 | 5.5% | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 6.7% | +20.8% |
| 2005 | 6.7% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 8.1% | +20.3% |
| 2007 | 8.4% | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 7.5% | -10.8% |
| 2009 | 7.1% | -5.7% |
| 2010 | 8.1% | +13.7% |
| 2011 | 8.9% | +9.8% |
| 2012 | 7.9% | -10.8% |
| 2013 | 7.2% | -8.6% |
| 2014 | 7.1% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 6.7% | -5.8% |
| 2016 | 6.6% | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 6.7% | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 6.5% | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 6.7% | +3.6% |
| 2020 | 7.2% | +6.6% |
| 2021 | 8.5% | +18.7% |
| 2022 | 7.0% | -18.5% |
| 2023 | 6.7% | -3.9% |
| 2024 | 6.7% | -0.3% |
Korea compared with similar countries
- Korea's 6.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.1%, 3.1× the median. (71 countries reporting)
- Korea's 6.7% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.3%, 5.2× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.8% | 2.6% | 4.9% | 8 |
| 1970s | 5.1% | 3.6% | 6.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.1% | 5.3% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.1% | 5.1% | 6.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.7% | 5.4% | 8.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.2% | 6.5% | 8.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.2% | 6.7% | 8.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Korea
More energy & mining data for Korea
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -1.55 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0.0001 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 25.7% (2024)
- Ores and metals exports 2.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is ores and metals imports in Korea?
- Ores and metals imports in Korea was 6.7% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest ores and metals imports recorded in Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 8.9% in 2011.
- What is the lowest ores and metals imports recorded in Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.6% in 1962.
- How does Korea rank for ores and metals imports?
- Korea ranks 13th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is ores and metals imports rising or falling in Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Ores and metals imports (% of merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Ores and metals comprise the commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 27 (crude fertilizer, minerals nes); 28 (metalliferous ores, scrap); and 68 (non-ferrous metals). Imports of services are services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise imports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a non-resident and a resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e.