Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary in Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea: Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary was 90.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary in Republic of Korea, 1970–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in cumulative.
Analysis
In 2024, educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary in Republic of Korea stood at 90.0%. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 4.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary in Republic of Korea peaked at 90.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 27.6%, in 1970.
That places Republic of Korea 43rd out of 134 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary in Republic of Korea, year by year
| Year | cumulative | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 27.6% | — |
| 1975 | 35.6% | +29.1% |
| 1980 | 45.8% | +28.7% |
| 1990 | 67.3% | +46.9% |
| 1995 | 71.9% | +6.9% |
| 2000 | 77.0% | +7.1% |
| 2003 | 79.7% | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 80.5% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 80.5% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 82.0% | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 82.6% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 83.0% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 77.9% | -6.1% |
| 2010 | 82.9% | +6.5% |
| 2011 | 84.2% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 84.8% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 85.3% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 86.0% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 85.7% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 87.1% | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 87.4% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 87.6% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 87.9% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 88.1% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 88.5% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 88.8% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 89.6% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 90.0% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 31.6% | 27.6% | 35.6% | 2 |
| 1980s | 45.8% | 45.8% | 45.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 69.6% | 67.3% | 71.9% | 2 |
| 2000s | 80.4% | 77.0% | 83.0% | 8 |
| 2010s | 85.9% | 82.9% | 87.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 89.0% | 88.1% | 90.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Republic of Korea
- 40 France 91.6% compare
- 41 Luxembourg 90.7% compare
- 42 Netherlands 90.3% compare
- 44 Belgium 88.9% compare
- 45 Puerto Rico 88.8% compare
- 46 Brunei Darussalam 88.7% compare
More education data for Republic of Korea
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,024 tertiary education (2024)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0494 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 173,133 (2024)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 69.5% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 10.2% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary in Republic of Korea?
- Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary in Republic of Korea was 90.0% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 90.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.6% in 1970.
- How does Republic of Korea rank for educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary?
- Republic of Korea ranks 43rd out of 134 countries with data for 2024.
- Is educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Republic of Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed lower secondary education.