Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Korea

Korea: Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers was 91.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
91.0%
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
3rd
of 64 countries
All-time high
94.0%
in 2021
All-time low
26.7%
in 2009
Years of data
15
2008–2023

Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Korea, 2008–2023

204060801002008201520232008: 53.7 %2009: 26.7 %2011: 61.2 %2012: 61.3 %2013: 64.6 %2014: 72.2 %2015: 76.3 %2016: 81.8 %2017: 85.7 %2018: 83.8 %2019: 87.3 %2020: 87.8 %2021: 94 %2022: 92.6 %2023: 91 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Korea recorded 91.0% for proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in 2023.

The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and up 40.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Korea peaked at 94.0% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 26.7%, in 2009.

Korea ranks 3rd of 64 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Korea, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers, magazines or electronic books in digital format, female (%) in Korea, 2008 to 2023.
Year % Change
2008 53.7%
2009 26.7% -50.3%
2011 61.2% +129.2%
2012 61.3% +0.2%
2013 64.6% +5.4%
2014 72.2% +11.8%
2015 76.3% +5.7%
2016 81.8% +7.2%
2017 85.7% +4.8%
2018 83.8% -2.2%
2019 87.3% +4.2%
2020 87.8% +0.6%
2021 94.0% +7.1%
2022 92.6% -1.5%
2023 91.0% -1.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 40.2% 26.7% 53.7% 2
2010s 74.9% 61.2% 87.3% 9
2020s 91.3% 87.8% 94.0% 4

Countries ranked near Korea

  1. 1 Norway 94.0% compare
  2. 2 Iceland 91.6% compare
  3. 4 Denmark 86.1% compare
  4. 5 Lithuania 83.0% compare
  5. 6 Cyprus 81.7% compare

See the full ranking of 64 places →

More education data for Korea

All data for Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Korea?
Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Korea was 91.0% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers recorded in Korea?
The highest recorded value was 94.0% in 2021.
What is the lowest proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers recorded in Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 26.7% in 2009.
How does Korea rank for proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers?
Korea ranks 3rd out of 64 countries with data for 2023.
Is proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers rising or falling in Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 40.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Korea data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers, magazines or electronic books in digital format, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Korea. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-youth-and-adults-that-read-or-downloaded-newspapers-magazines-or-electronic-3/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers, magazines or electronic books in digital format, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
64 places, 802 data points, 2002–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release