Seoul, January 11 (QNA) - South Korea's per capita gross domestic product (GDP) declined last year for the first time in three years.

Statistics from the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Korea showed that per capita GDP stood at 36,107 dollars last year, down 0.3 percent, or the equivalent of 116 dollars, compared with the previous year. 

The statistics attributed the decline mainly to the sharp drop in the value of the Korean won, as the average exchange rate reached KRW 1,422.16 per US dollar in 2025, the lowest annual level ever recorded, surpassing the previous record of KRW 1,398.39 set during the Asian financial crisis in 1998. 

A slowdown in economic growth also contributed to the decline, as real GDP growth is estimated to have reached about 1 percent last year, the lowest level since 2020. (QNA)