Republic of Korea vs South Africa: Duration of compulsory education
Republic of Korea
9 years
in 2025
South Africa
9 years
in 2025
Republic of Korea rank
120th
South Africa rank
120th
Duration of compulsory education over time
- Republic of Korea
- South Africa
How they compare
Republic of Korea currently reports 9 years against 9 years in South Africa, a difference of 0 years.
Across all 28 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Republic of Korea ranks 120th and South Africa ranks 120th of 205 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Republic of Korea | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6 years | 9 years | 3 years | South Africa |
| 2000s | 8.1 years | 9 years | 0.9 years | South Africa |
| 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, Republic of Korea or South Africa?
- Republic of Korea, at 9 years against 9 years in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in duration of compulsory education between Republic of Korea and South Africa?
- 0 years, with Republic of Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Republic of Korea and South Africa?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2025.
- How do Republic of Korea and South Africa rank globally for duration of compulsory education?
- Republic of Korea ranks 120th and South Africa ranks 120th of 205 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Duration of compulsory education. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The number of years of compulsory education is based on students starting at the earliest entrance age, studying full-time, and advancing without grade repetition or skipping.