Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes was 431,394 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in Republic of Korea, 1998–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Republic of Korea stood at 431,394. That is the lowest value across all 27 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.5% on the previous year and down 43.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Republic of Korea peaked at 1.32 million in 2002 and was at its lowest, 431,394, in 2024.
Republic of Korea ranks 15th of 149 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in Republic of Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 1.06 million | — |
| 1999 | 1.14 million | +7.6% |
| 2000 | 1.22 million | +7.1% |
| 2001 | 1.28 million | +4.9% |
| 2002 | 1.32 million | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 1.29 million | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 1.26 million | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 1.22 million | -3.1% |
| 2006 | 1.18 million | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 1.14 million | -3.8% |
| 2008 | 772,027 | -32.2% |
| 2009 | 761,102 | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 767,255 | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 812,413 | +5.9% |
| 2012 | 807,345 | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 785,400 | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 767,297 | -2.3% |
| 2015 | 745,836 | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 721,088 | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 700,679 | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 677,032 | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 659,991 | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 617,467 | -6.4% |
| 2021 | 559,206 | -9.4% |
| 2022 | 485,937 | -13.1% |
| 2023 | 451,853 | -7.0% |
| 2024 | 431,394 | -4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.10 million | 1.06 million | 1.14 million | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.15 million | 761,102 | 1.32 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 744,434 | 659,991 | 812,413 | 10 |
| 2020s | 509,171 | 431,394 | 617,467 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Republic of Korea
More education data for Republic of Korea
- 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)
- Primary secondary enrollment completion rates, gaps filled 100.87 (2024)
- School enrollment, primary 100.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Republic of Korea?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Republic of Korea was 431,394 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 1.32 million in 2002.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 431,394 in 2024.
- How does Republic of Korea rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes?
- Republic of Korea ranks 15th out of 149 countries with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 43.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Republic of Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release