Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea: Population of compulsory school age, both sexes was 3.87 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Republic of Korea, 2000–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Republic of Korea stood at 3.87 million. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 2.6% on the previous year and down 13.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Republic of Korea peaked at 6.11 million in 2004 and was at its lowest, 3.87 million, in 2024.
That places Republic of Korea 60th out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Republic of Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 4.07 million | — |
| 2001 | 4.15 million | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 4.83 million | +16.4% |
| 2003 | 5.48 million | +13.6% |
| 2004 | 6.11 million | +11.4% |
| 2005 | 6.08 million | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 6.02 million | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 5.90 million | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 5.70 million | -3.4% |
| 2009 | 5.48 million | -3.9% |
| 2010 | 5.27 million | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 5.02 million | -4.6% |
| 2012 | 4.79 million | -4.6% |
| 2013 | 4.60 million | -4.0% |
| 2014 | 4.47 million | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 4.30 million | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 4.15 million | -3.5% |
| 2017 | 4.10 million | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 4.10 million | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 4.08 million | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 4.09 million | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 4.10 million | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 4.07 million | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 3.97 million | -2.4% |
| 2024 | 3.87 million | -2.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.38 million | 4.07 million | 6.11 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.49 million | 4.08 million | 5.27 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.02 million | 3.87 million | 4.10 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Republic of Korea
- 57 Madagascar 4.07 million compare
- 58 North Korea 3.96 million compare
- 59 Zambia 3.94 million compare
- 61 Sri Lanka 3.81 million compare
- 62 Australia 3.64 million compare
- 63 Kazakhstan 3.54 million compare
More education data for Republic of Korea
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.37 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.17 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 846,694 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -7.78 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) -1.19 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 132,721 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 40,412 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.23 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) -0.0122 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Republic of Korea?
- Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Republic of Korea was 3.87 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 6.11 million in 2004.
- What is the lowest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.87 million in 2024.
- How does Republic of Korea rank for population of compulsory school age, both sexes?
- Republic of Korea ranks 60th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population of compulsory school age, both sexes rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.4%. 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 Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release