Republic of Korea vs United States of America: Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher
Republic of Korea
49.6%
in 2024
United States of America
49.8%
in 2024
Republic of Korea rank
17th
United States of America rank
16th
Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher over time
- Republic of Korea
- United States of America
How they compare
United States of America currently reports 49.8% against 49.6% in Republic of Korea, a difference of 0.2%.
Across all 7 years both countries report, United States of America has been ahead every year.
Republic of Korea ranks 17th and United States of America ranks 16th of 110 countries.
United States of America has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Republic of Korea | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 32.1% | 36.8% | 4.7% | United States of America |
| 2010s | 45.2% | 45.5% | 0.3% | United States of America |
| 2020s | 48.4% | 49.0% | 0.6% | United States of America |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of the population with post-secondary education or higher, Republic of Korea or United States of America?
- United States of America, at 49.8% against 49.6% in Republic of Korea as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of the population with post-secondary education or higher between Republic of Korea and United States of America?
- 0.2%, with United States of America ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Republic of Korea and United States of America?
- 7 years are reported by both, from 2003 to 2024.
- How do Republic of Korea and United States of America rank globally for share of the population with post-secondary education or higher?
- Republic of Korea ranks 17th and United States of America ranks 16th of 110 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of adults aged 25 and older who have completed post-secondary or tertiary education.