2025 Economic Census to elevate Korea's economic mapping

South Korea's Ministry of Data and Statistics launched the 2025 Economic Census on June 1, running through July 22, to assess the nation's economic condition and identify future growth engines. This is the first such census since the ministry's creation, underscoring data's role as a national strategic asset in the AI era.

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 organization