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The Conference Board publishes leading, coincident, and lagging indexes designed to signal peaks and troughs in the business cycle for major economies around the world.
LEI for South Korea decreased in January
Latest Press Release
Updated: Thursday, March 6, 2025
For Release 10:30 AM ET, March 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 decreased by 0.6% to 108.8 (2016=100) in January 2025, partially reversing the 0.9% increase in December 2024. Overall, the LEI was unchanged over the six-month period between July 2024 and January 2025, following a growth of 1.1% over the previous six-month period.
The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for South Korea decreased by 0.3% to 107.7 (2016=100) in January 2025, after increasing by 0.6% in December 2024. Nonetheless, the CEI expanded by 0.6% over the six-month period between July 2024 and January 2025, after contracting by 1.6% over the previous six-month period between January and July 2024.
“The South Korea LEI decreased in January and overall has been moving sideways for the past 6 months” said Malala Lin, Economic Research Associate, at The Conference Board. “An increase in inventories-to-shipment index, as well as lower exports (3-month moving average) and lower private construction orders drove the LEI’s decline in January. As a result, the semi-annual growth rate stalled at no growth. In addition, the annual growth rate of the LEI, while still positive, remained on a downward trend, indicating possible moderation ahead. The Conference Board currently expects real GDP to grow by 1.8% in 2025, after expanding by 2.1% in 2024.”
The next release is scheduled for Thursday, April 10th, 2025, at 10:30 A.M. ET.
The South Korea LEI decreased in January
The January decrease was driven by the index of inventories to shipment, exports, and private construction orders
The South Korea LEI annual growth rate decreased in January, indicating some moderation in economic activity ahead
About The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) and Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for South Korea
The composite economic indexes are key elements in an analytic system designed to signal peaks and troughs in the business cycle. Comprised of multiple independent indicators, the indexes are constructed to summarize and reveal common turning points in the economy in a clearer and more convincing manner than any individual component.
The CEI reflects current economic conditions and is highly correlated with real GDP. The LEI is a predictive tool that anticipates—or “leads”—turning points in the business cycle by around three months.
The six components of the Leading Economic Index® for South Korea are:
- Stock Prices
- Yield of Government Public Bonds
- Real Exports FOB (3-month moving average)
- Value of Machinery Orders
- Index of Inventories to Shipments
- Private Construction Orders
The four components of the Coincident Economic Index® for South Korea are:
- Industrial Production
- Wholesale and Retail Sales
- Total Employment
- Monthly Cash Earnings
To access data, please visit: https://data-central.conference-board.org/
About The Conference Board
The Conference Board is the member-driven think tank that delivers Trusted Insights for What’s Ahead®. Founded in 1916, we are a non-partisan, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States. ConferenceBoard.org
