Expenditure on primary education in Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea: Expenditure on primary education was 31.7% in 2016. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on primary education in Republic of Korea, 1970–2016
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
In 2016, expenditure on primary education in Republic of Korea stood at 31.7%. That is the lowest value across all 27 years on record.
Over the whole period, expenditure on primary education in Republic of Korea peaked at 67.5% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 31.7%, in 2016.
Republic of Korea ranks 80th of 149 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Expenditure on primary education in Republic of Korea, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 67.5% | — |
| 1971 | 66.3% | -1.8% |
| 1972 | 61.0% | -8.1% |
| 1973 | 63.1% | +3.5% |
| 1975 | 52.2% | -17.3% |
| 1976 | 63.5% | +21.8% |
| 1977 | 58.8% | -7.5% |
| 1979 | 55.9% | -4.9% |
| 1980 | 47.9% | -14.3% |
| 1981 | 63.2% | +31.9% |
| 1982 | 34.9% | -44.8% |
| 1983 | 46.2% | +32.5% |
| 1984 | 45.9% | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 44.7% | -2.7% |
| 1986 | 44.6% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 44.0% | -1.2% |
| 1988 | 53.0% | +20.3% |
| 1989 | 46.9% | -11.5% |
| 1990 | 43.6% | -7.0% |
| 1991 | 43.1% | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 42.2% | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 40.7% | -3.5% |
| 1994 | 44.5% | +9.3% |
| 1995 | 44.5% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 39.6% | -11.0% |
| 1999 | 41.4% | +4.6% |
| 2016 | 31.7% | -23.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 61.0% | 52.2% | 67.5% | 8 |
| 1980s | 47.1% | 34.9% | 63.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 42.5% | 39.6% | 44.5% | 8 |
| 2010s | 31.7% | 31.7% | 31.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Republic of Korea
More education data for Republic of Korea
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 233,046 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 76 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 434,627 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 412,067 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.66 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.51 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -4.15 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0484 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on primary education in Republic of Korea?
- Expenditure on primary education in Republic of Korea was 31.7% in 2016, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on primary education recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 67.5% in 1970.
- What is the lowest expenditure on primary education recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.7% in 2016.
- How does Republic of Korea rank for expenditure on primary education?
- Republic of Korea ranks 80th out of 149 countries with data for 2016.
- Where does this Republic of Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Expenditure on primary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Expenditure on primary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.