Annual precipitation in South Korea
South Korea: Annual precipitation was 1,270 millimeters in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
1,270 millimeters
Change on year
down 8.3%
World rank
67th
of 192 countries
All-time high
1,785 millimeters
in 1956
All-time low
475.63 millimeters
in 1942
Years of data
86
1940–2025
Annual precipitation in South Korea, 1940–2025
Source: Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in millimeters.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual precipitation in South Korea is 1,270 millimeters, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 8.3% on the previous year and up 30.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual precipitation in South Korea peaked at 1,785 millimeters in 1956 and was at its lowest, 475.63 millimeters, in 1942.
That places South Korea 67th out of 192 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 86 years of available data.
Annual precipitation in South Korea, year by year
| Year | millimeters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 1,029 millimeters | — |
| 1941 | 848.67 millimeters | -17.6% |
| 1942 | 475.63 millimeters | -44.0% |
| 1943 | 892.25 millimeters | +87.6% |
| 1944 | 1,130 millimeters | +26.7% |
| 1945 | 1,236 millimeters | +9.4% |
| 1946 | 737.95 millimeters | -40.3% |
| 1947 | 1,107 millimeters | +50.0% |
| 1948 | 1,487 millimeters | +34.3% |
| 1949 | 1,065 millimeters | -28.3% |
| 1950 | 1,105 millimeters | +3.8% |
| 1951 | 865.29 millimeters | -21.7% |
| 1952 | 1,057 millimeters | +22.1% |
| 1953 | 1,120 millimeters | +5.9% |
| 1954 | 1,392 millimeters | +24.3% |
| 1955 | 1,033 millimeters | -25.8% |
| 1956 | 1,785 millimeters | +72.8% |
| 1957 | 1,397 millimeters | -21.7% |
| 1958 | 1,555 millimeters | +11.3% |
| 1959 | 1,422 millimeters | -8.6% |
| 1960 | 1,187 millimeters | -16.5% |
| 1961 | 1,328 millimeters | +11.8% |
| 1962 | 1,290 millimeters | -2.8% |
| 1963 | 1,530 millimeters | +18.5% |
| 1964 | 1,426 millimeters | -6.8% |
| 1965 | 1,135 millimeters | -20.4% |
| 1966 | 1,086 millimeters | -4.3% |
| 1967 | 1,025 millimeters | -5.6% |
| 1968 | 962.61 millimeters | -6.1% |
| 1969 | 1,446 millimeters | +50.2% |
| 1970 | 1,207 millimeters | -16.6% |
| 1971 | 1,235 millimeters | +2.3% |
| 1972 | 1,768 millimeters | +43.2% |
| 1973 | 1,028 millimeters | -41.9% |
| 1974 | 1,481 millimeters | +44.1% |
| 1975 | 1,367 millimeters | -7.7% |
| 1976 | 1,269 millimeters | -7.1% |
| 1977 | 1,095 millimeters | -13.7% |
| 1978 | 1,242 millimeters | +13.4% |
| 1979 | 1,374 millimeters | +10.6% |
| 1980 | 1,511 millimeters | +10.0% |
| 1981 | 1,388 millimeters | -8.1% |
| 1982 | 1,098 millimeters | -20.9% |
| 1983 | 1,293 millimeters | +17.8% |
| 1984 | 1,274 millimeters | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 1,683 millimeters | +32.1% |
| 1986 | 1,360 millimeters | -19.2% |
| 1987 | 1,573 millimeters | +15.7% |
| 1988 | 917.44 millimeters | -41.7% |
| 1989 | 1,554 millimeters | +69.4% |
| 1990 | 1,510 millimeters | -2.8% |
| 1991 | 1,430 millimeters | -5.3% |
| 1992 | 1,156 millimeters | -19.2% |
| 1993 | 1,481 millimeters | +28.1% |
| 1994 | 852.81 millimeters | -42.4% |
| 1995 | 998.65 millimeters | +17.1% |
| 1996 | 1,123 millimeters | +12.5% |
| 1997 | 1,209 millimeters | +7.6% |
| 1998 | 1,639 millimeters | +35.6% |
| 1999 | 1,585 millimeters | -3.3% |
| 2000 | 1,256 millimeters | -20.8% |
| 2001 | 1,040 millimeters | -17.2% |
| 2002 | 1,402 millimeters | +34.8% |
| 2003 | 1,685 millimeters | +20.2% |
| 2004 | 1,250 millimeters | -25.8% |
| 2005 | 1,098 millimeters | -12.2% |
| 2006 | 1,260 millimeters | +14.7% |
| 2007 | 1,381 millimeters | +9.6% |
| 2008 | 894.04 millimeters | -35.2% |
| 2009 | 1,112 millimeters | +24.4% |
| 2010 | 1,228 millimeters | +10.4% |
| 2011 | 1,415 millimeters | +15.2% |
| 2012 | 1,423 millimeters | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 1,088 millimeters | -23.5% |
| 2014 | 1,085 millimeters | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 970.24 millimeters | -10.5% |
| 2016 | 1,223 millimeters | +26.1% |
| 2017 | 917.94 millimeters | -25.0% |
| 2018 | 1,266 millimeters | +37.9% |
| 2019 | 1,177 millimeters | -7.0% |
| 2020 | 1,503 millimeters | +27.7% |
| 2021 | 1,231 millimeters | -18.1% |
| 2022 | 1,084 millimeters | -11.9% |
| 2023 | 1,591 millimeters | +46.7% |
| 2024 | 1,385 millimeters | -12.9% |
| 2025 | 1,270 millimeters | -8.3% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 1,270 millimeters is above the median for high income countries, which is 891.63 millimeters, 1.4× the median. (65 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 1,270 millimeters is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1,984 millimeters, 64% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 1,001 millimeters | 475.63 millimeters | 1,487 millimeters | 10 |
| 1950s | 1,273 millimeters | 865.29 millimeters | 1,785 millimeters | 10 |
| 1960s | 1,242 millimeters | 962.61 millimeters | 1,530 millimeters | 10 |
| 1970s | 1,307 millimeters | 1,028 millimeters | 1,768 millimeters | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,365 millimeters | 917.44 millimeters | 1,683 millimeters | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,298 millimeters | 852.81 millimeters | 1,639 millimeters | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,238 millimeters | 894.04 millimeters | 1,685 millimeters | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,179 millimeters | 917.94 millimeters | 1,423 millimeters | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,344 millimeters | 1,084 millimeters | 1,591 millimeters | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More climate change data for South Korea
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.1 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.7164 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.8996 °C (2026)
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.2% (2100)
- Population, total, annual growth rate -0.1285 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1214 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.8117 units per person (2025)
- Precipitation anomalies, annual growth rate -78.08 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual precipitation in South Korea?
- Annual precipitation in South Korea was 1,270 millimeters in 2025, according to Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual precipitation recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 1,785 millimeters in 1956.
- What is the lowest annual precipitation recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 475.63 millimeters in 1942.
- How does South Korea rank for annual precipitation?
- South Korea ranks 67th out of 192 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual precipitation rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual precipitation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 86 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total annual precipitation—rain and snow—calculated as the sum of daily averages, reported as the depth of water falling to Earth's surface, excluding fog and dew.