The S&P Global South Korea Manufacturing PMI rose to 51.2 in January 2026 from 50.1 in December, reaching its highest level since August 2024 as the health of the manufacturing sector strengthened. Three of the PMI’s five components contributed positively in January, including new orders, output and suppliers’ delivery times, while employment and stocks of purchases showed slight negative influences. Demand for South Korean goods picked up at the start of 2026, with Mainland China, North America and Europe all cited as sources of growth. The sustained increase in new orders supported renewed production growth in January, only the second gain in the past 11 months. The 12-month outlook also improved to the highest since May 2022 as manufacturers anticipated new product lines, diversification and expanded capacity to drive growth. Inflationary pressures, however, persisted, likely fueled by a weak exchange rate and higher metals prices. source: S&P Global

Manufacturing PMI in South Korea increased to 51.20 points in January from 50.10 points in December of 2025. Manufacturing PMI in South Korea averaged 49.57 points from 2011 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 55.30 points in February of 2021 and a record low of 41.30 points in May of 2020. This page provides the latest reported value for - South Korea Manufacturing PMI - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Manufacturing PMI in South Korea increased to 51.20 points in January from 50.10 points in December of 2025. Manufacturing PMI in South Korea is expected to be 49.90 points by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the South Korea Manufacturing PMI is projected to trend around 51.20 points in 2027, according to our econometric models.



Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Business Confidence 73.00 70.00 points Jan 2026
Capacity Utilization 103.50 103.50 points Dec 2025
Car Production 362356.00 354243.00 Units Dec 2025
Car Registrations 144916.00 145936.00 Units Dec 2025
Changes in Inventories 1685.00 1989.90 KRW Billion Sep 2025
Coincident Index 113.60 113.60 points Dec 2025
Composite Leading Indicator 101.91 101.69 points Jan 2026
Corruption Index 63.00 64.00 Points Dec 2025
Corruption Rank 31.00 30.00 Dec 2025
Electricity Production 22501.10 21621.51 Gigawatt-hour Dec 2025
Industrial Production YoY -0.30 -1.40 percent Dec 2025
Industrial Production MoM 1.70 0.60 percent Dec 2025
Leading Economic Index 124.00 123.00 points Dec 2025
Manufacturing Production YoY -0.40 -1.20 percent Dec 2025
Mining Production 0.50 -6.30 percent Dec 2025
New Orders 13595975.00 16048042.00 KRW Million Dec 2025
Steel Production 5200.00 5000.00 Thousand Tonnes Dec 2025


South Korea Manufacturing PMI
The IHS Markit South Korea Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index measures the performance of the manufacturing sector and is derived from a survey of 400 manufacturing companies. The Index is based on five individual indexes with the following weights: New Orders (30 percent), Output (25 percent), Employment (20 percent), Suppliers’ Delivery Times (15 percent) and Stock of Items Purchased (10 percent), with the Delivery Times index inverted so that it moves in a comparable direction. A reading above 50 indicates an expansion of the manufacturing sector compared to the previous month; below 50 represents a contraction; while 50 indicates no change. This is only a limited sample of PMI headline data displayed on the Customer’s service, under licence from S&P Global. Full historic PMI headline data and all other PMI sub-index data and histories are available on subscription from S&P Global. Contact economics@spglobal.com for more details.

News Stream
South Korea Manufacturing PMI Hits 17-Month High
The S&P Global South Korea Manufacturing PMI rose to 51.2 in January 2026 from 50.1 in December, reaching its highest level since August 2024 as the health of the manufacturing sector strengthened. Three of the PMI’s five components contributed positively in January, including new orders, output and suppliers’ delivery times, while employment and stocks of purchases showed slight negative influences. Demand for South Korean goods picked up at the start of 2026, with Mainland China, North America and Europe all cited as sources of growth. The sustained increase in new orders supported renewed production growth in January, only the second gain in the past 11 months. The 12-month outlook also improved to the highest since May 2022 as manufacturers anticipated new product lines, diversification and expanded capacity to drive growth. Inflationary pressures, however, persisted, likely fueled by a weak exchange rate and higher metals prices.
2026-02-02
South Korea Manufacturing PMI Hits 3-Month High
The S&P Global South Korea Manufacturing PMI increased to 50.1 in December 2025, up from 49.4 in November. It marked the first expansion in the sector in three months and the fastest pace since September, as new orders rose for the first time in three months and recorded their steepest increase since November 2024. New export orders also returned to expansion territory for the first time since September, due to improved demand. Employment rose, while purchasing activity climbed for the first time since September and at the fastest pace since August 2024. Meanwhile, output continued to decline, albeit at a softer pace than in November. On prices, input cost inflation accelerated to its highest level since July 2022, amid higher raw material prices and unfavourable exchange-rate fluctuations. As a result, output cost inflation rose to a nine-month high. Finally, sentiment strengthened to its highest level since May 2022, driven by hopes of higher sales, supported by new product launches.
2026-01-02
South Korea Manufacturing Shrinks for 2nd Month
The S&P Global South Korea Manufacturing PMI stood at 49.4 in November 2025, unchanged from October. It marked the second consecutive month of contraction in the sector, as both output and new order intakes fell for the second straight month, with notable weakness observed in domestic demand. Manufacturers recorded a sustained reduction in foreign demand, although the rate of decline was only fractional. Employment fell for the second straight month amid lower production, while backlogs of work fell for the seventh time in the past eight months. Meanwhile, purchasing activity was unchanged, and delivery times lengthened to the greatest extent in four months. On prices, input cost inflation accelerated to a nine-month high due to higher raw material prices and unfavourable exchange rate movements. Meanwhile, output prices fell for the first time in a year as firms sought to drive sales and remain price-competitive. Finally, sentiment eased and remained well below the series average.
2025-12-01