Palm oil imports in South Korea

South Korea: Palm oil imports was 658,000 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
658,000 tonnes
Change on year
up 16.3%
World rank
18th
of 189 countries
All-time high
658,000 tonnes
in 2023
All-time low
0 tonnes
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023

Palm oil imports in South Korea, 1961–2023

0200.0k400.0k600.0k196119922023

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.

Analysis

South Korea recorded 658,000 tonnes for palm oil imports in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.

That represents a change of up 16.3% on the previous year and up 97.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, palm oil imports in South Korea peaked at 658,000 tonnes in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 1961.

That places South Korea 18th out of 189 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 666.67 tonnes 0 tonnes 4,000 tonnes 9
1970s 15,100 tonnes 6,000 tonnes 30,000 tonnes 10
1980s 134,200 tonnes 50,000 tonnes 199,000 tonnes 10
1990s 226,200 tonnes 189,000 tonnes 244,000 tonnes 10
2000s 305,500 tonnes 257,000 tonnes 416,000 tonnes 10
2010s 434,400 tonnes 281,000 tonnes 642,000 tonnes 10
2020s 604,250 tonnes 566,000 tonnes 658,000 tonnes 4

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 15 Turkey 814,000 tonnes compare
  2. 16 Germany 698,000 tonnes compare
  3. 17 Saudi Arabia 669,000 tonnes compare
  4. 19 Japan 636,000 tonnes compare
  5. 20 Myanmar 631,000 tonnes compare
  6. 21 Russia 541,000 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 190 places →

More energy & mining data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is palm oil imports in South Korea?
Palm oil imports in South Korea was 658,000 tonnes in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest palm oil imports recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 658,000 tonnes in 2023.
What is the lowest palm oil imports recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 1961.
How does South Korea rank for palm oil imports?
South Korea ranks 18th out of 189 countries with data for 2023.
Is palm oil imports rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 97.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Palm oil imports. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Palm oil imports
Unit
tonnes
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
190 places, 9,916 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed