KOSPI vs KOSDAQ — what the filings say
830 KOSPI and 1772 KOSDAQ companies, read from the accounts they filed rather than from their share prices.
The number that moved
In 2025, 44.3% of KOSDAQ filers reported a loss for the year. On KOSPI it was 24.7%.
Five years earlier, in 2021, the two were 33.5% and 21.0%.The KOSDAQ figure rose by about eleven points; KOSPI moved by about four.
2025, side by side
| Board | Companies | Reported a loss | Median revenue | Median return on equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOSPI | 830 | 24.7% (202) | KRW 6,41400m | 4.3% |
| KOSDAQ | 1,772 | 44.3% (774) | KRW 70900m | 1.5% |
Medians, not averages. One very large filer would pull an average far enough that the ordinary company on the board would disappear from the figure.
Share reporting a loss, 2021 to 2025
| Year | KOSPI | KOSDAQ | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 21.0% (720) | 33.5% (1366) | 12.5pt |
| 2022 | 23.4% (728) | 36.6% (1450) | 13.2pt |
| 2023 | 25.5% (799) | 42.3% (1584) | 16.8pt |
| 2024 | 22.5% (815) | 42.6% (1700) | 20.2pt |
| 2025 | 24.7% (818) | 44.3% (1746) | 19.6pt |
The small figure in brackets is how many companies we could countthat year — a filer with no net profit line is left out rather than counted as zero. The count grows over the years because more companies have filings on file.
What this does not say
A loss is not a verdict. A young company spending to grow files a loss, and so does one in trouble. The accounts do not tell them apart, and neither do we.
No share prices are used here. Market capitalisation is a bet on what a company will earn; revenue and profit are what it reported earning. This page uses only the second kind.
Not investment advice. We report what was filed.