Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea: Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from was 13.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Republic of Korea, 1998–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Republic of Korea stood at 13.8%.
That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and down 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Republic of Korea peaked at 19.0% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 13.5%, in 2003.
That places Republic of Korea 115th out of 122 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Republic of Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 18.2% | — |
| 1999 | 19.0% | +4.3% |
| 2000 | 18.4% | -2.9% |
| 2001 | 16.0% | -13.1% |
| 2002 | 14.2% | -10.9% |
| 2003 | 13.5% | -5.2% |
| 2004 | 14.0% | +3.4% |
| 2006 | 14.9% | +6.8% |
| 2007 | 14.6% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 14.6% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 14.9% | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 15.2% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 14.6% | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 14.7% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 14.4% | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 14.1% | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 14.2% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 14.1% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 14.0% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 14.0% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 13.8% | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.6% | 18.2% | 19.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 15.0% | 13.5% | 18.4% | 9 |
| 2010s | 14.6% | 14.1% | 15.2% | 5 |
| 2020s | 14.0% | 13.8% | 14.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Republic of Korea
- 112 Burkina Faso 15.0% compare
- 113 El Salvador 14.6% compare
- 114 Puerto Rico 14.4% compare
- 116 Guyana 13.7% compare
- 117 Kyrgyzstan 13.7% compare
- 118 Kazakhstan 11.2% compare
More education data for Republic of Korea
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Republic of Korea?
- Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Republic of Korea was 13.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 19.0% in 1999.
- What is the lowest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.5% in 2003.
- How does Republic of Korea rank for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from?
- Republic of Korea ranks 115th out of 122 countries with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Republic of Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Business, Administration and Law programmes, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release