China vs South Korea: Duration of compulsory education (years)
China
9 years
in 2025
South Korea
9 years
in 2025
China rank
120th
South Korea rank
120th
Duration of compulsory education (years) over time
- China
- South Korea
How they compare
China currently reports 9 years against 9 years in South Korea, a difference of 0 years.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1998 it was China ahead.
China ranks 120th and South Korea ranks 120th of 206 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9 years | 6 years | 3 years | China |
| 2000s | 9 years | 8.1 years | 0.9 years | China |
| 2010s | 9 years | 9 years | 0 years | — |
| 2020s | 9 years | 9 years | 0 years | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher duration of compulsory education, China or South Korea?
- China, at 9 years against 9 years in South Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in duration of compulsory education between China and South Korea?
- 0 years, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Korea?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2025.
- How do China and South Korea rank globally for duration of compulsory education?
- China ranks 120th and South Korea ranks 120th of 206 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Duration of compulsory education (years). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release