Persistence to last grade of primary, total in Korea

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

Latest (2023)
98.9%
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
30th
of 179 countries
All-time high
99.7%
in 2020
All-time low
91.9%
in 1972
Years of data
51
1971–2023

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

020406080100197119972023

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for persistence to last grade of primary, total in Korea is 98.9%, measured in 2023.

That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and down 0.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, persistence to last grade of primary, total in Korea peaked at 99.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 91.9%, in 1972.

That places Korea 30th out of 179 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Annual values for Persistence to last grade of primary, total (% of cohort) in Korea, 1971 to 2023.
Year % of cohort Change
1971 95.2%
1972 91.9% -3.5%
1973 92.8% +1.1%
1974 94.4% +1.7%
1975 94.0% -0.4%
1976 92.4% -1.7%
1977 95.1% +2.9%
1978 95.9% +0.9%
1979 97.2% +1.3%
1981 93.7% -3.6%
1982 96.8% +3.3%
1983 96.7% -0.1%
1984 98.9% +2.3%
1985 99.3% +0.4%
1986 99.0% -0.3%
1987 99.3% +0.3%
1988 99.2% -0.1%
1989 99.5% +0.2%
1990 99.7% +0.2%
1991 99.3% -0.4%
1992 99.5% +0.3%
1993 99.7% +0.2%
1994 99.1% -0.6%
1996 92.4% -6.8%
1997 96.1% +4.0%
1998 99.2% +3.3%
1999 99.2% -0.0%
2000 98.8% -0.4%
2001 98.2% -0.6%
2002 99.2% +1.0%
2003 97.3% -2.0%
2004 98.5% +1.3%
2005 98.6% +0.1%
2006 97.4% -1.3%
2007 98.4% +1.0%
2008 98.8% +0.5%
2009 99.3% +0.5%
2010 99.0% -0.2%
2011 99.2% +0.2%
2012 99.6% +0.3%
2013 99.4% -0.2%
2014 99.5% +0.1%
2015 99.4% -0.1%
2016 99.5% +0.1%
2017 99.3% -0.2%
2018 99.3% +0.1%
2019 99.2% -0.1%
2020 99.7% +0.6%
2021 98.6% -1.2%
2022 98.6% +0.1%
2023 98.9% +0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 94.3% 91.9% 97.2% 9
1980s 98.1% 93.7% 99.5% 9
1990s 98.3% 92.4% 99.7% 9
2000s 98.5% 97.3% 99.3% 10
2010s 99.3% 99.0% 99.6% 10
2020s 99.0% 98.6% 99.7% 4

Countries ranked near Korea

  1. 27 Russian Federation 99.1% compare
  2. 28 Türkiye 99.0% compare
  3. 29 Tajikistan 99.0% compare
  4. 31 Iceland 98.9% compare
  5. 32 Mexico 98.9% compare
  6. 33 Lithuania 98.6% compare

See the full ranking of 224 places →

More education data for Korea

All data for Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is persistence to last grade of primary, total in Korea?
Persistence to last grade of primary, total 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, total recorded in Korea?
The highest recorded value was 99.7% in 2020.
What is the lowest persistence to last grade of primary, total recorded in Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 91.9% in 1972.
How does Korea rank for persistence to last grade of primary, total?
Korea ranks 30th out of 179 countries with data for 2023.
Is persistence to last grade of primary, total rising or falling in Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. 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, total (% of cohort). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Persistence to last grade of primary, total in Korea. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/persistence-to-last-grade-of-primary-total-percent-of-cohort/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Persistence to last grade of primary, total (% 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
224 places, 6,364 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.