South Korea's water industry sales reached approximately 51 trillion won in 2024, accounting for about 2% of the national GDP, though export levels remained low at 2 trillion won.
In 2024, South Korea's water industry reported sales of 51.6 trillion won, which represents about 2% of the country's nominal GDP of approximately 2,556 trillion won. This growth reflects a 1.2% increase from the previous year, with the manufacturing sector leading the charge at 27.4 trillion won, making up over half of the total sales. Other significant contributors included construction at 14.9 trillion won and cleaning services at 4.7 trillion won, indicating a diverse water industry landscape.
Despite the growth in sales, the export figures for the water industry remain modest, reaching only 2.1 trillion won in 2024, which is about 4.0% of total sales. Manufacturing exports dominate this segment, accounting for 88.2% of total water industry exports. The number of companies engaged in overseas operations stood at 476, predominantly manufacturing firms, suggesting a concentrated effort in exporting products related to water technology.
As of the last year, the total number of water industry companies increased to 18,470, a growth of 2.2% from the previous year. The construction sector employed the largest workforce with 77,377 people, making up 36.5% of total employment in the sector, followed by manufacturing and engineering services. The comprehensive survey conducted targeted 4,500 companies, addressing various facets of the industry including employment, training, and export competitiveness, with detailed findings accessible through the water technology information system’s website.
