China vs South Korea: Inflation Comparison
Compare cumulative inflation, annual rates and purchasing power between China and South Korea from 2000 to 2026, based on World Bank CPI data.
Cumulative inflation in China was 42.1% between 2000 and 2026, according to World Bank CPI data (FP.CPI.TOTL).
Over the same period, cumulative inflation in South Korea was 80.8%.
China
CNYSouth Korea
KRWCPI Comparison Chart
Year-by-Year Comparison
| Year | China CPI | China (Change) | South Korea CPI | South Korea (Change) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 80.97 | - | 73.11 | - |
| 2001 | 81.55 | +0.7% | 76.09 | +4.1% |
| 2002 | 80.96 | -0.7% | 78.19 | +2.8% |
| 2003 | 81.87 | +1.1% | 80.94 | +3.5% |
| 2004 | 85.00 | +3.8% | 83.84 | +3.6% |
| 2005 | 86.51 | +1.8% | 86.15 | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 87.94 | +1.6% | 88.08 | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 92.17 | +4.8% | 90.32 | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 97.63 | +5.9% | 94.54 | +4.7% |
| 2009 | 96.92 | -0.7% | 97.14 | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 100.00 | +3.2% | 100.00 | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 105.55 | +5.6% | 104.03 | +4.0% |
| 2012 | 108.32 | +2.6% | 106.30 | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 111.16 | +2.6% | 107.68 | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 113.29 | +1.9% | 109.06 | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 114.92 | +1.4% | 109.83 | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 117.22 | +2.0% | 110.89 | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 119.09 | +1.6% | 113.05 | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 121.56 | +2.1% | 114.72 | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 125.08 | +2.9% | 115.16 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 111.50 | -10.9% | 105.77 | -8.2% |
| 2021 | 113.11 | +1.4% | 109.68 | +3.7% |
| 2022 | 115.12 | +1.8% | 115.20 | +5.0% |
| 2023 | 114.78 | -0.3% | 118.85 | +3.2% |
| 2024 | 114.89 | +0.1% | 132.20 | +11.2% |
| 2025 | 115.03 | +0.1% | - | - |
Inflation by Decade: China vs South Korea
| Year | China (Total Inflation) | China (Avg Annual Rate) | South Korea (Total Inflation) | South Korea (Avg Annual Rate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | - | - | +214.4% | 13.57% |
| 1970s | - | - | +250.4% | 14.95% |
| 1980s | +50.7% | 14.64% | +69.1% | 6.01% |
| 1990s | +99.5% | 7.98% | +60.5% | 5.40% |
| 2000s | +19.7% | 2.02% | +32.9% | 3.21% |
| 2010s | +25.1% | 2.52% | +15.2% | 1.58% |
| 2020s | +3.2% | 0.63% | +25.0% | 5.73% |
The inflation gap between China and South Korea widened to 38.8 percentage points from 2000 to 2026.
¥100 in China in 2000 lost roughly the same relative value as ₩127.28 in South Korea.
China's highest annual inflation was 5.9% in 2008; South Korea's was 11.2% in 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which had higher inflation, China or South Korea?
Between 2000 and 2026, South Korea had higher cumulative inflation (80.81%) than China (42.06%), according to World Bank CPI data.
What was cumulative inflation in China from 2000 to 2026?
Prices in China rose 42.06% cumulatively, an average of 1.41% per year.
What was cumulative inflation in South Korea from 2000 to 2026?
Prices in South Korea rose 80.81% cumulatively, an average of 2.5% per year.
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Calculate Individually
Between 2000 and 2026, China had lower cumulative inflation (42.1%) than South Korea (80.8%).