Global Leading Indicators

For Release 10:30 AM ET, February 6, 2025

Using the Composite Indexes: The Leading Economic Index (LEI) provides an early indication of significant turning points in the business cycle and where the economy is heading in the near term. The Coincident Economic Index (CEI) provides an indication of the current state of the economy. Additional details are below.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^®(LEI) for South Korea rose by 0.9% to 109.7 (2016=100) in December 2024, after decreasing by 0.2% in November. Overall, the LEI expanded by 0.6% over the second half of 2024, a slower pace than the 1.2% growth over the first half of 2024.

The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index^® (CEI) for South Korea increased by 0.8% to 109.2 (2016=100) in December 2024, after being unchanged in November. The CEI also expanded by 1.2% over the second half of 2024, more than reversing the 0.5% contraction over the first half of last year.

“The South Korea LEI increased in December, more than reversing the previous two consecutive declines” said Malala Lin, Economic Research Associate, at The Conference Board. “The increase in LEI was most notably driven by an improvement in the inventories to shipment Index. This can be attributed to significant increases in shipments for manufactured goods, including electronic products such as semiconductors and computers. Additionally, positive contributions from the bonds yield and private construction orders further boosted the Index. Despite the monthly rebound, the semi-annual and annual growth rates of the LEI remain relatively low compared to the past one and a half years, indicating possible moderation ahead. The Conference Board expects real GDP to moderate in the first quarter of the year and annual growth to reach 2.1% in 2025.”

The next release is scheduled for Thursday, March 6th, 2025, at 10:30 A.M. ET.