South Korea's per capita gross domestic product is estimated to have declined last year for the first time in three years, barely holding above the 36‑thousand‑dollar level amid sluggish growth and a sharply weaker won.

According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Bank of Korea and the Ministry of Data and Statistics, the country's per capita GDP is estimated at 36-thousand-107 dollars for last year, down zero-point-three percent from a year earlier.

Nominal GDP in dollar terms is estimated to have fallen half of a percent year‑on‑year to one-point-86 trillion dollars, also marking the first decline since 2022.

The downturn was driven by weak economic growth, with real GDP estimated at one percent, and a record‑high won-dollar exchange rate that reduced dollar‑denominated output.

If the economy expands as projected this year, South Korea's per capita GDP is expected to return to the 37‑thousand‑dollar range for the first time in five years, reaching an estimated 37-thousand-932 dollars if exchange rates remain at last year's level.

Taiwan, boosted by rapid growth in its semiconductor sector, is estimated to have overtaken South Korea in per capita GDP last year for the first time in 22 years.