Ireland vs South Korea: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education
Ireland
36.3%
in 2022
South Korea
39.2%
in 2024
Ireland rank
8th
South Korea rank
7th
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education over time
- Ireland
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 39.2% against 36.3% in Ireland, a difference of 2.9%.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.1 times Ireland's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 14 shared years of data; in 2002 it was Ireland ahead.
Ireland ranks 8th and South Korea ranks 7th of 95 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 1 and South Korea in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 21.1% | 17.4% | 3.7% | Ireland |
| 2010s | 27.0% | 32.8% | 5.9% | South Korea |
| 2020s | 33.5% | 37.1% | 3.6% | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education, Ireland or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 39.2% against 36.3% in Ireland as of 2024.
- What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education between Ireland and South Korea?
- 2.9%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and South Korea?
- 14 years are reported by both, from 2002 to 2022.
- How do Ireland and South Korea rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
- Ireland ranks 8th and South Korea ranks 7th of 95 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, rural, male (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release