Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea: Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years was 12.85 in 2015. ▲ Rising
Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Republic of Korea, 1970–2015
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Republic of Korea is 12.85, measured in 2015. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.
The figure is up 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Republic of Korea peaked at 12.85 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 6.87, in 1970.
That places Republic of Korea 17th out of 121 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.
Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Republic of Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6.87 | — |
| 1975 | 8.08 | +17.7% |
| 1980 | 8.69 | +7.6% |
| 1985 | 10.7 | +23.1% |
| 1990 | 10.53 | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 11.24 | +6.7% |
| 2000 | 11.66 | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 12.21 | +4.7% |
| 2009 | 11.86 | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 12.46 | +5.0% |
| 2015 | 12.85 | +3.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.47 | 6.87 | 8.08 | 2 |
| 1980s | 9.7 | 8.69 | 10.7 | 2 |
| 1990s | 10.88 | 10.53 | 11.24 | 2 |
| 2000s | 11.91 | 11.66 | 12.21 | 3 |
| 2010s | 12.66 | 12.46 | 12.85 | 2 |
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 mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Republic of Korea?
- Mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Republic of Korea was 12.85 in 2015, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 12.85 in 2015.
- What is the lowest mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.87 in 1970.
- How does Republic of Korea rank for mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years?
- Republic of Korea ranks 17th out of 121 countries with data for 2015.
- Is mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Republic of Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years, male. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release