South Korea vs Japan: Inflation Comparison
Compare cumulative inflation, annual rates and purchasing power between South Korea and Japan from 2000 to 2025, based on World Bank CPI data.
Cumulative inflation in South Korea was 80.8% between 2000 and 2025, according to World Bank CPI data (FP.CPI.TOTL).
Over the same period, cumulative inflation in Japan was 11.4%.
South Korea
KRWJapan
JPYCPI Comparison Chart
Year-by-Year Comparison
| Year | South Korea CPI | South Korea (Change) | Japan CPI | Japan (Change) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 73.11 | - | 102.67 | - |
| 2001 | 76.09 | +4.1% | 101.91 | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 78.19 | +2.8% | 100.97 | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 80.94 | +3.5% | 100.71 | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 83.84 | +3.6% | 100.70 | 0.0% |
| 2005 | 86.15 | +2.8% | 100.41 | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 88.08 | +2.2% | 100.66 | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 90.32 | +2.5% | 100.72 | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 94.54 | +4.7% | 102.12 | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 97.14 | +2.8% | 100.73 | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 100.00 | +2.9% | 100.00 | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 104.03 | +4.0% | 99.73 | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 106.30 | +2.2% | 99.68 | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 107.68 | +1.3% | 100.02 | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 109.06 | +1.3% | 102.78 | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 109.83 | +0.7% | 103.59 | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 110.89 | +1.0% | 103.46 | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 113.05 | +1.9% | 103.96 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 114.72 | +1.5% | 104.99 | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 115.16 | +0.4% | 105.48 | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 105.77 | -8.2% | 101.09 | -4.2% |
| 2021 | 109.68 | +3.7% | 101.30 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 115.20 | +5.0% | 107.84 | +6.5% |
| 2023 | 118.85 | +3.2% | 111.36 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | 132.20 | +11.2% | 114.41 | +2.7% |
Inflation by Decade: South Korea vs Japan
| Year | South Korea (Total Inflation) | South Korea (Avg Annual Rate) | Japan (Total Inflation) | Japan (Avg Annual Rate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | +214.4% | 13.57% | +61.1% | 5.44% |
| 1970s | +250.4% | 14.95% | +119.1% | 9.11% |
| 1980s | +69.1% | 6.01% | +18.9% | 1.94% |
| 1990s | +60.5% | 5.40% | +9.3% | 1.00% |
| 2000s | +32.9% | 3.21% | -1.9% | -0.21% |
| 2010s | +15.2% | 1.58% | +5.5% | 0.60% |
| 2020s | +25.0% | 5.73% | +13.2% | 3.14% |
The inflation gap between South Korea and Japan widened to 69.4 percentage points from 2000 to 2025.
₩100 in South Korea in 2000 lost roughly the same relative value as ¥61.63 in Japan.
South Korea's highest annual inflation was 11.2% in 2024; Japan's was 6.5% in 2022.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which had higher inflation, South Korea or Japan?
Between 2000 and 2025, South Korea had higher cumulative inflation (80.81%) than Japan (11.44%), according to World Bank CPI data.
What was cumulative inflation in South Korea from 2000 to 2025?
Prices in South Korea rose 80.81% cumulatively, an average of 2.5% per year.
What was cumulative inflation in Japan from 2000 to 2025?
Prices in Japan rose 11.44% cumulatively, an average of 0.45% per year.
More Popular Comparisons
Calculate Individually
Between 2000 and 2025, Japan had lower cumulative inflation (11.4%) than South Korea (80.8%).
Main version of this comparison: Japan vs South Korea