South Korea Business Confidence

OECD standardised business confidence indicator (long-term average = 100).

Business Confidence in South Korea decreased to 99.41 points in Sep 2026 from 99.49 points in Aug 2026.

99.41
▼ −0.08Sep 2026 · previous 99.49Monthly · index points · Source: OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

South Korea Business Confidence — History

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South Korea Business Confidence — analysis in simple words

Latest reading

Business Confidence in South Korea decreased to 99.41 points in Sep 2026 from 99.49 points in Aug 2026.

Over the last three months it rose twice and fell once.

Recent trend

A year earlier (Sep 2025) it was 98.46, so the latest figure is 0.96 higher.

Over the past five years the average was 98.90, with a range from 98.19 to 100.26. The latest value is above that five-year average.

Historical context

This data series starts in Jul 1991 and has 423 monthly observations. The latest reading is higher than 48% of all of them.

The highest value on record is 106.78 (Mar 1998) and the lowest is 96.34 (Jan 2009). The long-run average is 100.00.

Compared with other countries

Among 45 economies with recent data, South Korea ranks 32nd from the top. The median across all these economies is 99.98, so South Korea is below the typical country.

Among 17 major economies tracked on this site it ranks 12th.

Within East Asia & Pacific (6 economies with data) it ranks 4th; the regional median is 99.67.

Statistics

Latest
99.41Sep 2026
Previous
99.49
5-year average
98.90
Long-run average
100.00since Jul 1991
All-time high
106.78Mar 1998
All-time low
96.34Jan 2009
Observations
423Monthly

Recent Data

PeriodValueChange
Sep 202699.41▼ −0.08
Aug 202699.49▲ +0.02
Jul 202699.47▲ +0.07
Jun 202699.40▲ +0.09
May 202699.31▲ +0.11
Apr 202699.20▲ +0.10
Mar 202699.10▲ +0.10
Feb 202699.00▲ +0.14
Jan 202698.87▲ +0.16
Dec 202598.70▲ +0.13
Nov 202598.57▲ +0.08
Oct 202598.49▲ +0.03
Sep 202598.46▼ −0.02
Aug 202598.48▼ −0.02
Jul 202598.50▼ −0.08
Jun 202598.58▼ −0.04
May 202598.62▲ +0.02
Apr 202598.59▲ +0.09
Mar 202598.51▲ +0.10
Feb 202598.41▲ +0.10
Jan 202598.31▲ +0.08
Dec 202498.23▼ −0.04
Nov 202498.27▼ −0.11
Oct 202498.39▼ −0.16
Sep 202498.55▼ −0.13
Aug 202498.68▼ −0.10
Jul 202498.78▼ −0.03
Jun 202498.81▲ +0.07
May 202498.74▲ +0.12
Apr 202498.61

Business Confidence — South Korea vs Peers

Latest available reading for each economy (periods may differ). South Korea highlighted.

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More South Korea indicators

GDP Annual Growth Rate3.8%Q2 2026Interest Rate3.00%Sep 2026Inflation Rate2.9%Sep 2026Unemployment Rate2.7%Aug 2026Government Debt to GDP52.4%2025Balance of Trade$96.7B2025Current Account to GDP6.6%2025GDP$1,872.4B2025GDP Growth Rate0.63%Q2 2026Industrial Production-0.9%Aug 2026Composite Leading Indicator102.53Sep 2026
South Korea economy overview →   Business Confidence — all countries →

Understanding Business Confidence — a simple guide

What it measures

The OECD standardised business confidence indicator, based on surveys asking companies about production, orders and stocks.

How it is calculated

Survey answers from businesses are combined and standardised by the OECD so that 100 equals the long-term average.

Simple example

A reading of 101.5 means businesses are somewhat more optimistic than their long-run norm.

▲ When it is high or rising

High confidence often comes before more investment and hiring.

▼ When it is low or falling

Low confidence often comes before cuts in production and investment.

Why it matters for the economy and markets

Confident businesses tend to invest and hire more, so this survey often moves ahead of actual production and employment data.

How to read it

100 is the long-term average. Values above 100 mean companies are more optimistic than usual; below 100, more pessimistic.

What to look at alongside it

Industrial production, PMI-type surveys and the leading indicator.

Key terms

Survey indicator
Based on opinions of managers rather than measured output.

Data source

OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (series OECD business confidence (BCI)), monthly data from Jul 1991 to Sep 2026. Values are shown exactly as published by the source and may be revised later.

How to use the chart

Use the 5Y / 10Y / 25Y / Max buttons to change the time range, or drag the slider under the chart. Hover (or tap) on the line to see the exact value for any period. Dashed lines and hatched bars are IMF projections, not actual data. The “Download CSV” button gives you the full data series.

Frequently asked questions

What is the current business confidence of South Korea?
South Korea business confidence was 99.41 in Sep 2026, compared with 99.49 in the previous period, according to OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest and lowest business confidence of South Korea?
Since Jul 1991, the highest reading was 106.78 (Mar 1998) and the lowest was 96.34 (Jan 2009).
What does business confidence measure?
The OECD standardised business confidence indicator, based on surveys asking companies about production, orders and stocks.

Data are sourced from official international organisations (IMF, World Bank, BIS) and national authorities, and are shown for educational and informational purposes only. They are not investment advice and no recommendation is made. Figures may be revised by the source; IMF figures for the current and future years are projections. This page was last updated on Saturday, October 17, 2026.