Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in South Korea

South Korea: Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from was 7.2% in 2017. ▬ Flat

Latest (2017)
7.2%
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
66th
of 98 countries
All-time high
8.4%
in 2008
All-time low
6.8%
in 2004
Years of data
16
1998–2017

Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in South Korea, 1998–2017

024681998200720171998: 7 %1999: 7.1 %2000: 7.2 %2001: 7.1 %2002: 7.2 %2003: 7.6 %2004: 6.8 %2005: 7.7 %2006: 7.9 %2007: 8.3 %2008: 8.4 %2009: 8.2 %2011: 7.8 %2015: 7.2 %2016: 7.2 %2017: 7.2 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

South Korea recorded 7.2% for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in 2017.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.1% on the previous year and down 12.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in South Korea peaked at 8.4% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 6.8%, in 2004.

That places South Korea 66th out of 98 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.

Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in South Korea, year by year

Annual values for Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Education programmes, both sexes (%) in South Korea, 1998 to 2017.
Year % Change
1998 7.0%
1999 7.1% +1.3%
2000 7.2% +1.0%
2001 7.1% -0.3%
2002 7.2% +0.4%
2003 7.6% +6.6%
2004 6.8% -11.4%
2005 7.7% +13.1%
2006 7.9% +3.0%
2007 8.3% +4.8%
2008 8.4% +2.1%
2009 8.2% -2.4%
2011 7.8% -5.3%
2015 7.2% -7.3%
2016 7.2% -1.2%
2017 7.2% +1.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 7.0% 7.0% 7.1% 2
2000s 7.6% 6.8% 8.4% 10
2010s 7.4% 7.2% 7.8% 4

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 63 Serbia 7.4% compare
  2. 64 Macao 7.4% compare
  3. 65 Estonia 7.3% compare
  4. 67 Iran 7.0% compare
  5. 68 Italy 6.9% compare
  6. 69 Finland 6.8% compare

See the full ranking of 98 places →

More education data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in South Korea?
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in South Korea was 7.2% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 8.4% in 2008.
What is the lowest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 6.8% in 2004.
How does South Korea rank for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from?
South Korea ranks 66th out of 98 countries with data for 2017.
Is percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 12.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Education programmes, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in South Korea. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/percentage-of-graduates-from-tertiary-education-graduating-from-education-programmes-both/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Education programmes, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
98 places, 1,156 data points, 1998–2020
Last refreshed

Share of all tertiary graduates who completed education programmes in the reference year.