SEOUL-- Companies in South Korea saw their sales and operating margins improve markedly in 2021 on the back of robust exports and a spending recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, central bank data showed Wednesday.

Combined sales of 26,880 corporations -- manufacturing and non-manufacturing firms subject to external auditing -- grew 17.7 percent last year from a year earlier, according to the data from the Bank of Korea.

The rise followed a 3.2 percent on-year decline a year earlier when the country was in the middle of the pandemic.

It also marked the steepest sales growth since relevant data begun to be compiled in 2013.

Their profitability also improved.

Their operating to sales margin rose to an all-time high of 6.8 percent last year and compared with 5.1 percent in 2020, the data showed.

The improvement came as the country's exports remained strong despite the pandemic and local spending by consumers rebounded from falls caused by stringent curbs on business operations and people's movement.

Source: Yonhap News Agency