Inflation South Korea 1981
Average inflation: 21.6%
Current Inflation
Inflation is very high at 21.6%, far above the ECB target.
Peak and Trough
The highest inflation was in January at 28.8%. The lowest inflation was in December at 13.7%.
- Highest month
- January: 28.8%
- Lowest month
- December: 13.7%
- Difference
- 15.1 percentage points
- Months with data
- 12 of 12
Historical Context
Current inflation is 3.0% higher than the 5-year average of 18.6%.
- 5-year average
- 18.6%
- 10-year average
- 19.1%
- All-time high (1980)
- 28.6%
- All-time low (1977)
- 10.1%
Trend
Inflation shows an upward trend. Compared to 1980, inflation has risen by -7.0 percentage point.
- Change vs. previous year
- -7.0 percentage points
- Largest monthly swing
- December: -18.5 percentage points
ECB Target
Inflation is 19.6% 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 €121.60 next year at this inflation rate.
Multi-year trend
Monthly figures 1981
Month overview
| Month | Inflation | Difference vs. 1980 |
|---|---|---|
| January | 28.8% | +3.4 |
| February | 24.4% | -2.0 |
| March | 22.3% | -6.5 |
| April | 22.4% | -4.2 |
| May | 21.3% | -5.4 |
| June | 23.2% | -3.8 |
| July | 23.4% | -4.1 |
| August | 22.6% | -6.6 |
| September | 21.9% | -7.9 |
| October | 18.3% | -14.2 |
| November | 16.6% | -14.7 |
| December | 13.7% | -18.5 |
| Average | 21.6% |
Data source
Data from OECD. Last updated: 24/11/2025.