Iceland vs Republic of Korea: Average years of schooling

Iceland
13.53 years
in 2020
Republic of Korea
13.68 years
in 2020
Iceland rank
3rd
Republic of Korea rank
2nd

Average years of schooling over time

  • Iceland
  • Republic of Korea
051015187019452020

How they compare

Republic of Korea currently reports 13.68 years against 13.53 years in Iceland, a difference of 0.15 years.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 31 shared years of data; in 1870 it was Iceland ahead.

Iceland ranks 3rd and Republic of Korea ranks 2nd of 111 countries.

Across the 16 decades both report, Iceland averaged higher in 11 and Republic of Korea in 5.

Head to head by decade

Decade Iceland Republic of Korea Difference Ahead
1870s 0.88 years 0.01 years 0.87 years Iceland
1880s 1.06 years 0.01 years 1.05 years Iceland
1890s 1.28 years 0.01 years 1.27 years Iceland
1900s 1.73 years 0.45 years 1.28 years Iceland
1910s 2.65 years 1.14 years 1.51 years Iceland
1920s 3.18 years 2.17 years 1.01 years Iceland
1930s 4.01 years 3.02 years 0.99 years Iceland
1940s 4.95 years 3.79 years 1.16 years Iceland
1950s 5.89 years 4.93 years 0.965 years Iceland
1960s 6.51 years 5.07 years 1.44 years Iceland
1970s 7.47 years 7.06 years 0.41 years Iceland
1980s 8.46 years 9.06 years 0.61 years Republic of Korea
1990s 9.46 years 10.82 years 1.35 years Republic of Korea
2000s 10.5 years 12.04 years 1.54 years Republic of Korea
2010s 12.23 years 13.14 years 0.91 years Republic of Korea
2020s 13.53 years 13.68 years 0.15 years Republic of Korea

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher average years of schooling, Iceland or Republic of Korea?
Republic of Korea, at 13.68 years against 13.53 years in Iceland as of 2020.
What is the difference in average years of schooling between Iceland and Republic of Korea?
0.15 years, with Republic of Korea ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Republic of Korea?
31 years are reported by both, from 1870 to 2020.
How do Iceland and Republic of Korea rank globally for average years of schooling?
Iceland ranks 3rd and Republic of Korea ranks 2nd of 111 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Average years of schooling. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Iceland vs Republic of Korea: Average years of schooling. Statizoid, drawing on Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/mean-years-of-schooling-long-run/iceland/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Average years of schooling
Unit
years
Source
Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
111 places, 3,441 data points, 1870–2020
Last refreshed

Average years of formal education for individuals aged 15-64.