Household net worth jumps 9% on soaring home prices, stock rally
Korea posted its fastest annual growth in four years last year, with the total net worth of households and nonprofits reaching 14.2 quadrillion won ($9.7 trillion).
Employees walk in front of an electronic display board showing the Kospi at the trading room of the Hana Bank's headquarters in central Seoul, on July 22.AP/YONHAP
Household net worth in Korea recorded its fastest annual growth in four years last year, fueled by rising housing prices and strong gains in domestic and overseas stock markets.
The combined net worth of households and nonprofit organizations reached 14.2 quadrillion won ($9.7 trillion) at the end of 2025, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Bank of Korea (BOK) and the Ministry of Data and Statistics, up by approximately 1.17 quadrillion won, or 9 percent, from a year earlier.
The rate of growth was nearly three times the 3.1 percent recorded in 2024 and marked the strongest gain since 2021, when household net worth rose 14.5 percent from 2020.
Based on an estimated population of 51.68 million, household net worth per person reached 274.75 million won at the end of 2025, up 9.1 percent from a year earlier. Net worth per household increased 7.9 percent over the same period to 634.27 million won.
"Household assets increased significantly last year as the Kospi and overseas stock markets posted strong gains and housing prices also rose sharply," Nam Min-ho, head of BOK’s National Balance Sheet team, said.
The value of households' nonfinancial assets — tangible assets such as property — increased by 494 trillion won, or 5 percent, to 10.4 quadrillion won last year, while net financial assets increased by 674 trillion won, or 21.8 percent, to 3.77 quadrillion won, marking the fastest annual growth since 2009.
The increase in housing assets more than doubled in 2025, rising to 534 trillion won from 246 trillion won in 2024.
High-rise apartment complexes are seen in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on July 19.YONHAP
Holdings of equities and investment funds swung from a 14 trillion won decline in 2024 to a 525 trillion won increase in 2025. The rise in cash and deposits widened to 152 trillion won in 2025 from 118 trillion won in 2024.
Real estate assets accounted for 50.4 percent of household net worth at the end of 2025. However, as financial assets grew faster than nonfinancial assets last year, real estate's share of total household assets reduced to 71.9 percent from 74.6 percent a year earlier.
Korea's national net worth reached 24.6 quadrillion won at the end of 2025, up 531 trillion won, or 2.2 percent, from a year earlier. The increase was less than half the 5 percent growth recorded in 2024.
Korean 50,000-won bills are stacked inside a bank in Seoul on Oct. 24, 2022.YONHAP
Higher real estate prices boosted the country's nonfinancial assets by 857 trillion won in 2025.
Net financial assets, however, fell by 326 trillion won, or 20.4 percent, in 2025 as the won-denominated value of Korean stocks held by foreign investors increased sharply.
A closer look at the housing market shows that gains were concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area.
The total market value of homes nationwide rose 8 percent during the year to 7.71 quadrillion won, with the capital region accounting for 92.8 percent of the increase.
The dominance of the Seoul metropolitan area in Korea's housing market reached a new high in 2025, with homes in the capital region accounting for a record 70.4 percent of the nation's total housing market value.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
