Hong Kong vs South Korea: Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years)
Hong Kong
3 years
in 2025
South Korea
3 years
in 2025
Hong Kong rank
52nd
South Korea rank
52nd
Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years) over time
- Hong Kong
- South Korea
How they compare
Hong Kong currently reports 3 years against 3 years in South Korea, a difference of 0 years.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was South Korea ahead.
Hong Kong ranks 52nd and South Korea ranks 52nd of 221 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Hong Kong averaged higher in 2 and South Korea in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Hong Kong | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2 years | 3 years | 1 years | South Korea |
| 1980s | 2 years | 3 years | 1 years | South Korea |
| 1990s | 2.4 years | 3 years | 0.6 years | South Korea |
| 2000s | 4 years | 3 years | 1 years | Hong Kong |
| 2010s | 3.2 years | 3 years | 0.2 years | Hong Kong |
| 2020s | 3 years | 3 years | 0 years | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher theoretical duration of upper secondary education, Hong Kong or South Korea?
- Hong Kong, at 3 years against 3 years in South Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in theoretical duration of upper secondary education between Hong Kong and South Korea?
- 0 years, with Hong Kong ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Hong Kong and South Korea?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Hong Kong and South Korea rank globally for theoretical duration of upper secondary education?
- Hong Kong ranks 52nd and South Korea ranks 52nd of 221 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release