Persistence to last grade of primary, male in Korea

Korea: Persistence to last grade of primary, male was 98.9% in 2023. ▬ Flat

Latest (2023)
98.9%
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
26th
of 164 countries
All-time high
100.0%
in 1993
All-time low
92.6%
in 1972
Years of data
50
1971–2023

Persistence to last grade of primary, male in Korea, 1971–2023

020406080100197119972023

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of cohort.

Analysis

Korea recorded 98.9% for persistence to last grade of primary, male in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and down 0.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, persistence to last grade of primary, male in Korea peaked at 100.0% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 92.6%, in 1972.

That places Korea 26th out of 164 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

Persistence to last grade of primary, male in Korea, year by year

Annual values for Persistence to last grade of primary, male (% of cohort) in Korea, 1971 to 2023.
Year % of cohort Change
1971 95.7%
1972 92.6% -3.3%
1973 93.2% +0.7%
1974 94.8% +1.7%
1975 94.2% -0.6%
1976 92.7% -1.6%
1977 95.0% +2.5%
1978 96.0% +1.0%
1979 97.2% +1.3%
1981 93.5% -3.8%
1982 96.8% +3.5%
1983 96.5% -0.3%
1984 99.0% +2.6%
1985 99.3% +0.3%
1986 98.8% -0.5%
1987 99.3% +0.5%
1988 99.1% -0.2%
1989 99.5% +0.4%
1990 99.5% -0.0%
1991 99.0% -0.4%
1992 99.6% +0.5%
1993 100.0% +0.4%
1994 99.0% -0.9%
1997 95.4% -3.6%
1998 99.4% +4.2%
1999 99.4% -0.1%
2000 98.8% -0.6%
2001 98.0% -0.7%
2002 99.1% +1.1%
2003 97.2% -2.0%
2004 98.5% +1.3%
2005 98.4% -0.1%
2006 97.5% -1.0%
2007 98.2% +0.7%
2008 98.9% +0.8%
2009 99.2% +0.3%
2010 99.0% -0.3%
2011 99.2% +0.2%
2012 99.6% +0.5%
2013 99.4% -0.3%
2014 99.3% -0.0%
2015 99.4% +0.1%
2016 99.5% +0.1%
2017 99.3% -0.2%
2018 99.4% +0.1%
2019 99.3% -0.1%
2020 99.8% +0.5%
2021 98.4% -1.4%
2022 98.5% +0.1%
2023 98.9% +0.4%

Korea compared with similar countries

  • Korea's 98.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 98.6%, 1.0× the median. (52 countries reporting)
  • Korea's 98.9% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 92.4%, 1.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 94.6% 92.6% 97.2% 9
1980s 98.0% 93.5% 99.5% 9
1990s 98.9% 95.4% 100.0% 8
2000s 98.4% 97.2% 99.2% 10
2010s 99.3% 99.0% 99.6% 10
2020s 98.9% 98.4% 99.8% 4

Countries ranked near Korea

  1. 23 Chile 99.1% compare
  2. 24 Estonia 99.0% compare
  3. 25 Montenegro 99.0% compare
  4. 27 Russian Federation 98.9% compare
  5. 28 Israel 98.9% compare
  6. 29 Türkiye 98.8% compare

See the full ranking of 209 places →

More education data for Korea

All data for Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is persistence to last grade of primary, male in Korea?
Persistence to last grade of primary, male in Korea was 98.9% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest persistence to last grade of primary, male recorded in Korea?
The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 1993.
What is the lowest persistence to last grade of primary, male recorded in Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 92.6% in 1972.
How does Korea rank for persistence to last grade of primary, male?
Korea ranks 26th out of 164 countries with data for 2023.
Is persistence to last grade of primary, male rising or falling in Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Korea data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Persistence to last grade of primary, male (% of cohort). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Persistence to last grade of primary, male in Korea. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/persistence-to-last-grade-of-primary-male-percent-of-cohort/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Persistence to last grade of primary, male (% of cohort)
Unit
% of cohort
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
209 places, 5,490 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

Persistence to last grade of primary is the percentage of children enrolled in the first grade of primary school who eventually reach the last grade of primary education. The estimate is based on the reconstructed cohort method.