Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Republic of Korea

Republic of Korea: Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from was 20.3% in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
20.3%
Change on year
down 8.6%
World rank
12th
of 98 countries
All-time high
36.7%
in 1998
All-time low
20.3%
in 2017
Years of data
16
1998–2017

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

0102030401998200720171998: 36.7 %1999: 35.8 %2000: 32.7 %2001: 32.4 %2002: 31 %2003: 30.2 %2004: 28.5 %2005: 30.1 %2006: 28.6 %2007: 26.8 %2008: 25.2 %2009: 23.8 %2011: 25 %2015: 22 %2016: 22.2 %2017: 20.3 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Republic of Korea recorded 20.3% for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in 2017. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.

The figure is down 8.6% on the previous year and down 24.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Republic of Korea peaked at 36.7% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 20.3%, in 2017.

That places Republic of Korea 12th out of 98 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.

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

Annual values for Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction programmes, both sexes (%) in Republic of Korea, 1998 to 2017.
Year % Change
1998 36.7%
1999 35.8% -2.7%
2000 32.7% -8.6%
2001 32.4% -0.9%
2002 31.0% -4.3%
2003 30.2% -2.7%
2004 28.5% -5.5%
2005 30.1% +5.5%
2006 28.6% -5.0%
2007 26.8% -6.0%
2008 25.2% -6.1%
2009 23.8% -5.7%
2011 25.0% +5.2%
2015 22.0% -12.0%
2016 22.2% +1.0%
2017 20.3% -8.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 36.3% 35.8% 36.7% 2
2000s 28.9% 23.8% 32.7% 10
2010s 22.4% 20.3% 25.0% 4

Countries ranked near Republic of Korea

  1. 9 Germany 21.4% compare
  2. 10 Portugal 20.9% compare
  3. 11 Austria 20.6% compare
  4. 13 Viet Nam 19.9% compare
  5. 14 United Arab Emirates 19.7% compare
  6. 15 Liechtenstein 19.6% compare

See the full ranking of 98 places →

More education data for Republic of Korea

All data for Republic of Korea →

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 20.3% in 2017, 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 36.7% in 1998.
What is the lowest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in Republic of Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 20.3% in 2017.
How does Republic of Korea rank for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from?
Republic of Korea ranks 12th out of 98 countries with data for 2017.
Is percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 24.3%. 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 Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction programmes, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Republic of Korea. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/percentage-of-graduates-from-tertiary-education-graduating-from-engineering-manufacturing/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction programmes, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
98 places, 1,159 data points, 1998–2020
Last refreshed

Share of all tertiary graduates who completed engineering, manufacturing and construction programmes in the reference year.