Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in South Korea
South Korea: Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates was 100.9% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in South Korea, 2000–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 100.9% for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in South Korea peaked at 101.3% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 98.6%, in 2021.
That places South Korea 107th out of 217 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 100.1% | 98.8% | 101.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 99.9% | 98.6% | 101.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 99.6% | 98.6% | 100.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More education data for South Korea
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 69.5% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 10.2% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 100.9% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 173,133 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 0.734 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 100.8% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in South Korea?
- Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in South Korea was 100.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 101.3% in 2008.
- What is the lowest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 98.6% in 2021.
- How does South Korea rank for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates?
- South Korea ranks 107th out of 217 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of children of any age group who are enrolled in primary education, expressed as a percentage of the total population of the official primary school age.