Inflation South Korea 1979
Average inflation: 18.3%
Current Inflation
Inflation is very high at 18.3%, far above the ECB target.
Peak and Trough
The highest inflation was in May at 21.8%. The lowest inflation was in January at 14.1%.
- Highest month
- May: 21.8%
- Lowest month
- January: 14.1%
- Difference
- 7.7 percentage points
- Months with data
- 12 of 12
Historical Context
Current inflation is 1.6% higher than the 5-year average of 16.7%.
- 5-year average
- 16.7%
- 10-year average
- 16.7%
- All-time high (1975)
- 25.1%
- All-time low (1977)
- 10.1%
Trend
Inflation shows an upward trend. Compared to 1978, inflation has risen by +3.9 percentage point.
- Change vs. previous year
- +3.9 percentage points
- Largest monthly swing
- May: +9.2 percentage points
ECB Target
Inflation is 16.3% above the ECB target of 2.0%. This means purchasing power is declining faster than intended.
Purchasing Power
At this high inflation rate, purchasing power rapidly decreases. This has a major impact on households, especially without adequate salary increases.
What you could buy for €100 this year will cost approximately €118.30 next year at this inflation rate.
Multi-year trend
Monthly figures 1979
Month overview
| Month | Inflation | Difference vs. 1978 |
|---|---|---|
| January | 14.1% | +0.8 |
| February | 15.7% | +2.7 |
| March | 16.3% | +3.4 |
| April | 19.3% | +6.7 |
| May | 21.8% | +9.2 |
| June | 19.6% | +5.0 |
| July | 18.5% | +3.7 |
| August | 18.6% | +5.1 |
| September | 17.9% | +2.4 |
| October | 17.6% | +0.8 |
| November | 18.8% | +1.8 |
| December | 21.2% | +4.8 |
| Average | 18.3% |
Data source
Data from OECD. Last updated: 24/11/2025.