What caused South Korea’s producer prices to rise in September?

Higher prices of agricultural, livestock and fisheries products drove the increase, rising 2.6 percent as demand grew during the Chuseok holiday, which fell in the fourth week of September.

How much did South Korea’s producer price index increase in September compared with a year earlier?

The producer price index increased 7.7 percent from a year earlier in September, slightly slower than the 7.9 percent year-on-year increase recorded in August.

Which sectors showed price changes in South Korea in September?

Electricity, gas and water supply prices rose 1.3 percent, while industrial goods such as petroleum and chemical products remained unchanged from the previous month. The domestic supply price index also stayed unchanged.

Producer prices up for 2nd month in Sept. on higher prices of agricultural goods

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Summary

Producer prices rose 0.2 percent month-on-month in September in South Korea, driven by higher agricultural goods prices during the Chuseok season. The increase followed a 0.1 percent gain in August, marking a second consecutive monthly rise. Producer prices were up 7.7 percent from a year earlier, while electricity, gas and water prices also increased.

Key Facts

Prices of agricultural, livestock and fisheries products rose 2.6 percent in September as Chuseok demand increased.
Prices of electricity, gas and water supplies gained 1.3 percent last month.
Industrial goods, including petroleum and chemical products, were unchanged from the previous month.
The domestic supply price index, which includes producer and import prices, stayed unchanged in September.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 21, 2026 8:27 am KST

Vegetables on sale at a supermarket, Seoul, Oct. 2, 2026. Yonhap

Producer prices rose for the second consecutive month in September driven by higher prices of agricultural goods during the Chuseok season, central bank data showed Wednesday.

The producer price index (PPI), a key gauge of future consumer inflation, increased 0.2 percent last month from a month earlier, following a 0.1 percent on-month gain in August, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).

In July, the index fell for the first time since August 2025.

From a year earlier, producer prices rose 7.7 percent in September, slightly slowing from the previous month's 7.9 percent on-year gain, the latest findings showed.

Producer prices are a key indicator of future inflation trends, as they influence the prices businesses charge consumers in the months ahead.

The BOK said prices of agricultural, livestock and fisheries products rose 2.6 percent in September due to increased demand amid the Chuseok holiday, which fell in the fourth week of September.

Prices of electricity, gas and water supplies gained 1.3 percent last month.

Prices of industrial goods, including petroleum and chemical products, remained flat in September compared with the previous month.

The domestic supply price index, which reflects both producer and import prices, stayed unchanged in September from a month earlier, the data showed.

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