South Korea's overall inflation rate slowed slightly in December, but it was higher than the central bank's 2% target for the fourth month in a row. The Korea Statistics Agency said on Wednesday that the consumer price index rose 2.3% year on year, up 2.4% in November. According to the statistics agency, the average inflation rate in 2025 was 2.1%, down from 2.3% in 2024. The December data is exactly in line with the median estimate of a 2.3% increase given by nine economists surveyed by the media. The CPI rose 0.3% month-on-month in December, which is also in line with the survey's predictions. CPI fell 0.2% month-on-month in November. The core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 2.0% year over year, with a slight increase of 0.2% month-on-month.

South Korea's overall inflation rate slowed slightly in December, but it was higher than the central bank's 2% target for the fourth month in a row. The Korea Statistics Agency said on Wednesday that the consumer price index rose 2.3% year on year, up 2.4% in November. According to the statistics agency, the average inflation rate in 2025 was 2.1%, down from 2.3% in 2024. The December data is exactly in line with the median estimate of a 2.3% increase given by nine economists surveyed by the media. The CPI rose 0.3% month-on-month in December, which is also in line with the survey's predictions. CPI fell 0.2% month-on-month in November. The core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 2.0% year over year, with a slight increase of 0.2% month-on-month.