South Korea Producer Inflation Hits 3rd-Year High in March

2026-04-21 22:20 By Juan Quintana 1 min. read

South Korea's producer prices rose 4.1% year-on-year in March 2026, accelerating sharply from February's pace and marking the strongest increase in three years, as inflationary pressures surged within the industrial sector. Costs increased in manufacturing (5.9% vs. 2.3% in February), services (3.1% vs. 3.2%), and agricultural, forestry, and marine products (0.5% vs. 4.5%), reflecting a shift in inflationary weight from food prices toward energy and chemical manufacturing. By contrast, prices for electricity, gas, and water remained in contraction at -1.1%, matching the decline recorded in the previous month. On a monthly basis, producer prices rose by 1.6% in March, significantly outstepping the 0.6% increase seen in February.



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South Korea Producer Inflation Hits 3rd-Year High in March
South Korea's producer prices rose 4.1% year-on-year in March 2026, accelerating sharply from February's pace and marking the strongest increase in three years, as inflationary pressures surged within the industrial sector. Costs increased in manufacturing (5.9% vs. 2.3% in February), services (3.1% vs. 3.2%), and agricultural, forestry, and marine products (0.5% vs. 4.5%), reflecting a shift in inflationary weight from food prices toward energy and chemical manufacturing. By contrast, prices for electricity, gas, and water remained in contraction at -1.1%, matching the decline recorded in the previous month. On a monthly basis, producer prices rose by 1.6% in March, significantly outstepping the 0.6% increase seen in February.
2026-04-21
South Korea Producer Inflation Hits 19-Month High in February
South Korea’s producer prices rose 2.4% year-on-year in February 2026, accelerating from January’s pace and marking the strongest increase since July 2024, as price pressures remained broad-based across key categories. Costs increased for services (3.2% vs 2.6% in January), manufacturing (2.3% vs 1.8%) and agricultural, forestry and marine products (4.5% vs 2.4%), reflecting a sharp rebound in farm-related prices. By contrast, prices for electricity, gas and water remained in contraction at -1.1%, extending the decline from -1.3% previously. On a monthly basis, producer prices rose 0.6% in February, matching the 0.6% increase in January.
2026-03-23
South Korea Producer Inflation Remains at 1.9%
South Korea’s producer prices rose 1.9% year-on-year in January 2026, matching December’s pace and marking the strongest increase since July 2024, as price pressures remained broad-based across key categories. Costs increased for services (2.6% vs 2.2% in December), manufacturing (1.8% vs 1.9%) and agricultural, forestry and marine products (2.4% vs 6.1%), reflecting a sharp rebound in farm-related prices. By contrast, prices for electricity, gas and water remained in contraction at -1.2%, extending the decline from -1.3% previously. On a monthly basis, producer prices rose 0.6% in January, accelerating from a 0.4% increase in December.
2026-02-23