Contribution2025 Economic Census to elevate Korea's industrial mapping

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Ahn Hyung-jun

Data has emerged as a national strategic asset, surpassing the traditional importance of land or resources in an era of artificial intelligence (AI) transformation, where the global economic landscape is being reshaped at an unprecedented pace.

As countries around the world race to build a scientific governance system, Korea launched the Ministry of Data and Statistics as the government's central coordinator for data policy, marking a proactive step toward digital innovation.

Against this backdrop, the ministry commenced the Economic Census for Reference Year 2025, or the 2025 Economic Census, on June 1. This massive national undertaking aims to assess the overall economic condition of Korea and provide the foundation for identifying future growth engines.

Conducted every five years and covering all establishments nationwide, the census serves as a high-resolution map of Korea’s current industrial structure. The census will continue through July 22.

This year’s census carries particular significance as the first nationwide economic census conducted since the ministry’s organizational elevation, which represents a major milestone in breaking down data silos across the public and private sectors and establishing a user-centered, intelligent data framework.

A distinctive feature of this census is its comprehensive reflection of changes in the global economic environment and Korea’s domestic industrial ecosystem through statistical indicators.

The census introduces many new items to assess technological adoption, including the use of AI and robotics. In addition, it significantly expands data collection on foreign workers to reflect structural changes in Korea’s labor market, which have drawn growing attention from global opinion leaders.

Korea is undergoing a structural demographic transition marked by a declining working-age population and an aging population, which has driven the rapid expansion of the foreign workforce, both in scale and in its roles across industries.

Through this census, the ministry aims to gain a comprehensive understanding of the scale and employment conditions of foreign workers at the establishment level, thereby providing foundational data for practical and sustainable workforce policies as well as for the development of global industrial standards.

To ensure broader participation, survey infrastructure has also been enhanced to meet global standards.

Survey questionnaires and response guidelines are available in English, enabling business owners and respondents from diverse cultural backgrounds to participate in the census without language barriers.

The completion of a trusted data ecosystem ultimately depends on balancing data accuracy and strong privacy protection.

On one hand, the ministry is streamlining survey items and reducing the response burden on businesses through the integration and use of administrative data. On the other hand, it remains firmly committed to the core principle of strictly protecting all collected data in accordance with the Statistics Act.

Data directly provided by 7.5 million establishments, representing the capillaries of the national economy, will serve not only as the most accurate compass for navigating Korea’s economic landscape but also as a valuable guide for exploring business opportunities beyond its borders.

We look forward to the active participation and support of business owners and leaders, both at home and abroad. With their valuable input, the 2025 Economic Census will help reshape the future of Korea’s industrial landscape and strengthen its global standing as a leading model of data governance.

Ahn Hyung-jun is Korea's data and statistics minister.