Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Korea

Korea: Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age was 2.7% in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)
2.7%
World rank
95th
of 150 countries
All-time high
45.2%
in 1971
All-time low
0.1%
in 1996
Years of data
23
1971–2018

Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Korea, 1971–2018

010203040501971199420181971: 45.2 %1972: 40.3 %1973: 35.2 %1974: 29.9 %1975: 29.3 %1976: 25.2 %1977: 24.1 %1978: 25.6 %1979: 20.4 %1980: 17.2 %1981: 14.5 %1984: 11.8 %1985: 10.3 %1986: 8.4 %1989: 11.6 %1991: 6.3 %1992: 8.5 %1996: 0.074 %1997: 6.7 %1998: 7.4 %1999: 6.1 %2000: 1.9 %2018: 2.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2018, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Korea stood at 2.7%.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Korea peaked at 45.2% in 1971 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1996.

That places Korea 95th out of 150 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Korea, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes (%) in Korea, 1971 to 2018.
Year % Change
1971 45.2%
1972 40.3% -10.9%
1973 35.2% -12.5%
1974 29.9% -15.2%
1975 29.3% -2.0%
1976 25.2% -13.8%
1977 24.1% -4.5%
1978 25.6% +6.3%
1979 20.4% -20.3%
1980 17.2% -15.7%
1981 14.5% -15.8%
1984 11.8% -18.4%
1985 10.3% -13.2%
1986 8.4% -17.9%
1989 11.6% +37.1%
1991 6.3% -45.4%
1992 8.5% +34.7%
1996 0.1% -99.1%
1997 6.7% +8978.2%
1998 7.4% +10.8%
1999 6.1% -17.5%
2000 1.9% -69.2%
2018 2.7% +45.3%

Korea compared with similar countries

  • Korea's 2.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.8%, 1.6× the median. (60 countries reporting)
  • Korea's 2.7% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.3%, 64% of the median. (20 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1997 +8978.2% 0.1% 6.7%
1996 -99.1% 8.5% 0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 30.6% 20.4% 45.2% 9
1980s 12.3% 8.4% 17.2% 6
1990s 5.9% 0.1% 8.5% 6
2000s 1.9% 1.9% 1.9% 1
2010s 2.7% 2.7% 2.7% 1

Countries ranked near Korea

  1. 92 Hungary 3.2% compare
  2. 93 Brunei Darussalam 3.1% compare
  3. 94 Eswatini 2.8% compare
  4. 96 Palestine, State of 2.5% compare
  5. 97 Netherlands 2.5% compare
  6. 98 Australia 2.5% compare

See the full ranking of 195 places →

More education data for Korea

All data for Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Korea?
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Korea was 2.7% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Korea?
The highest recorded value was 45.2% in 1971.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1996.
How does Korea rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
Korea ranks 95th out of 150 countries with data for 2018.
Where does this Korea data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Korea. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-adolescents-of-lower-secondary-school-age-both-sexes-percent/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
195 places, 3,656 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Number of adolescents of official lower secondary school age who are not enrolled in lower secondary school expressed as a percentage of the population of official lower secondary school age.