Ireland vs South Korea: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education
Ireland
51.2%
in 2023
South Korea
49.6%
in 2024
Ireland rank
5th
South Korea rank
7th
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education over time
- Ireland
- South Korea
How they compare
Ireland currently reports 51.2% against 49.6% in South Korea, a difference of 1.6%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 20 shared years of data; in 1995 it was South Korea ahead.
Ireland ranks 5th and South Korea ranks 7th of 129 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 1 and South Korea in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.4% | 20.8% | 3.5% | South Korea |
| 2000s | 28.1% | 31.6% | 3.5% | South Korea |
| 2010s | 37.6% | 41.8% | 4.2% | South Korea |
| 2020s | 47.4% | 47.4% | 0.0% | Ireland |
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?
- Ireland, at 51.2% against 49.6% in South Korea as of 2023.
- What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education between Ireland and South Korea?
- 1.6%, with Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and South Korea?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2023.
- How do Ireland and South Korea rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
- Ireland ranks 5th and South Korea ranks 7th of 129 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, both sexes (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release