Trend Analysis
Economy
Industry
Prices
🔥 75
2026-01-30
December 2025 and Annual Industrial Activity Trends
National Data Agency
1Dec 2025 total industrial production rose 1.5% MoM, led by semiconductors and services.
2Consumption rose 0.9% on clothing/food sales, but facility investment fell 3.6%.
3Annual production/consumption grew slightly, but construction output plunged 16.2%.
📋 Key Findings
🔍 Background
The government monitors monthly industrial activity, including production, consumption, and investment, to diagnose economic trends. This report provides a comprehensive analysis of performance in December 2025 and changes throughout the year.
📌 Key Points
In December, production rose 1.5% month-on-month, driven by semiconductors (2.9%) and pharmaceuticals (10.2%). Consumption increased by 0.9% due to higher sales of semi-durable goods like clothing (3.1%). However, facility investment decreased by 3.6% as investments in ships and aircraft declined. Construction completed rose 12.1% month-on-month across both building and civil engineering sectors.
📝 Implications
Semiconductors and the service sector are leading a recovery in overall industrial activity. However, investment remains highly volatile, evidenced by a 16.2% annual decline in construction output and a 7.9% drop in facility investment during the fourth quarter.
📝 Impact on Daily Life
Increased consumption of clothing and food products suggests a slight uptick in everyday shopping activity. However, the significant 16.2% annual drop in construction output may lead to a perceived economic slowdown in areas such as new apartment move-ins and local construction jobs.
📚 Glossary
전산업생산지수 (Jeonsaneop Saengsan Jisu)Index of All Industry Production; a composite index representing production activities across all industries except agriculture, forestry, and fishing.
소매판매액지수 (Somae Panmaeaek Jisu)Retail Sales Index; an indicator showing the volume of goods purchased by consumers, used to judge domestic consumption trends.
설비투자지수 (Seolbi Tuja Jisu)Facility Investment Index; an indicator of the scale of corporate investment in equipment such as machinery and vehicles for production.
건설기성 (Geonseol Giseong)Value of Construction Completed; the monetary value of actual construction work performed by contractors during a specific period.
순환변동치 (Sunhwan Byeondongchi)Cyclical Component; a value that shows the current position of the business cycle by removing long-term trends from economic indices.