Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Korea
Korea: Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal was 9.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Korea, 2000–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Korea is 9.6%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 25.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Korea peaked at 14.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 9.5%, in 2022.
That places Korea 106th out of 110 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 14.6% | — |
| 2001 | 13.9% | -4.5% |
| 2002 | 13.6% | -2.4% |
| 2003 | 13.0% | -4.3% |
| 2004 | 12.6% | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 12.6% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 12.9% | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 13.1% | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 13.5% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 13.5% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 13.5% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 13.2% | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 13.2% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 13.1% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 12.8% | -2.3% |
| 2015 | 11.6% | -9.8% |
| 2016 | 11.4% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 11.1% | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 10.9% | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 10.3% | -5.3% |
| 2020 | 10.1% | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 9.7% | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 9.5% | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 9.6% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 9.6% | -0.6% |
Korea compared with similar countries
- Korea's 9.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 17.5%, 55% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Korea's 9.6% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 11.4%, 84% of the median. (13 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13.3% | 12.6% | 14.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.1% | 10.3% | 13.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.7% | 9.5% | 10.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Korea
More education data for 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 participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Korea?
- Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Korea was 9.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 14.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.5% in 2022.
- How does Korea rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- Korea ranks 106th out of 110 countries with data for 2024.
- Is participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal rising or falling in Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, 15-64 years old, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release