Expenditure on tertiary education in Republic of Korea

Republic of Korea: Expenditure on tertiary education was 20.4% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
20.4%
World rank
80th
of 160 countries
All-time high
28.6%
in 1982
All-time low
7.9%
in 1994
Years of data
27
1970–2016

Expenditure on tertiary education in Republic of Korea, 1970–2016

10152025301970199320161970: 8.2 % of government expenditure on education1971: 8.3 % of government expenditure on education1972: 8.2 % of government expenditure on education1973: 8.8 % of government expenditure on education1975: 10.7 % of government expenditure on education1976: 11.1 % of government expenditure on education1977: 8.1 % of government expenditure on education1979: 12 % of government expenditure on education1980: 11.4 % of government expenditure on education1981: 10.2 % of government expenditure on education1982: 28.6 % of government expenditure on education1983: 11.8 % of government expenditure on education1984: 12.8 % of government expenditure on education1985: 11.5 % of government expenditure on education1986: 10.7 % of government expenditure on education1987: 10.6 % of government expenditure on education1988: 9.7 % of government expenditure on education1989: 10.2 % of government expenditure on education1990: 9.7 % of government expenditure on education1991: 8.3 % of government expenditure on education1992: 8.2 % of government expenditure on education1993: 8.3 % of government expenditure on education1994: 7.9 % of government expenditure on education1995: 8 % of government expenditure on education1998: 10.7 % of government expenditure on education1999: 13.5 % of government expenditure on education2016: 20.4 % of government expenditure on education

Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.

Analysis

Republic of Korea recorded 20.4% for expenditure on tertiary education in 2016.

Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in Republic of Korea peaked at 28.6% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 7.9%, in 1994.

Republic of Korea ranks 80th of 160 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.

Expenditure on tertiary education in Republic of Korea, year by year

Annual values for Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education) in Republic of Korea, 1970 to 2016.
Year % of government expenditure on education Change
1970 8.2%
1971 8.3% +0.6%
1972 8.2% -1.0%
1973 8.8% +6.9%
1975 10.7% +22.1%
1976 11.1% +3.3%
1977 8.1% -26.3%
1979 12.0% +47.7%
1980 11.4% -5.2%
1981 10.2% -10.4%
1982 28.6% +180.2%
1983 11.8% -58.6%
1984 12.8% +8.0%
1985 11.5% -9.7%
1986 10.7% -7.1%
1987 10.6% -1.2%
1988 9.7% -8.0%
1989 10.2% +4.2%
1990 9.7% -4.3%
1991 8.3% -14.9%
1992 8.2% -0.5%
1993 8.3% +1.2%
1994 7.9% -5.2%
1995 8.0% +1.4%
1998 10.7% +33.5%
1999 13.5% +26.5%
2016 20.4% +51.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 9.4% 8.1% 12.0% 8
1980s 12.8% 9.7% 28.6% 10
1990s 9.3% 7.9% 13.5% 8
2010s 20.4% 20.4% 20.4% 1

Countries ranked near Republic of Korea

  1. 77 Sri Lanka 20.7% compare
  2. 78 Maldives 20.6% compare
  3. 79 Lithuania 20.5% compare
  4. 81 Morocco 20.2% compare
  5. 82 Iceland 19.9% compare
  6. 83 Rwanda 19.8% compare

See the full ranking of 197 places →

More education data for Republic of Korea

All data for Republic of Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is expenditure on tertiary education in Republic of Korea?
Expenditure on tertiary education in Republic of Korea was 20.4% in 2016, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Republic of Korea?
The highest recorded value was 28.6% in 1982.
What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Republic of Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 7.9% in 1994.
How does Republic of Korea rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
Republic of Korea ranks 80th out of 160 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 tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Expenditure on tertiary education in Republic of Korea. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/expenditure-on-tertiary-education-percent-of-government-expenditure-on-education/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education)
Unit
% of government expenditure on education
Source
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
197 places, 3,723 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Expenditure on tertiary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.