Industrial output growth slows to five-year low in 2025

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Published: 30 Jan. 2026, 09:51 Updated: 30 Jan. 2026, 14:50

A view shows Samsung Electronics' chip production plant at Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on Sept. 7, 2022. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Korea's industrial output grew at the slowest pace in five years in 2025, while retail sales and facility investment also grew at a moderate pace, government data showed Friday.

Industrial output gained 0.5 percent from a year earlier in 2025, driven mainly by strong demand for semiconductors, according to the data from the Ministry of Statistics and Data.

Retail sales, a key indicator of private spending, also rose 0.5 percent from a year earlier, rebounding from a decline the previous year. The increase was driven by higher sales of durable goods, including vehicles.

Facility investment advanced 1.7 percent on-year in 2025, extending gains for a second straight year, supported by strong demand for transportation equipment and chip-related machinery, the data showed.

Yonhap