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

Korea: Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers was 95.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
95.3%
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
1st
of 62 countries
All-time high
97.7%
in 2021
All-time low
58.4%
in 2009
Years of data
15
2008–2023

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

0204060801002008201520232008: 87.1 %2009: 58.4 %2011: 96.6 %2012: 96.3 %2013: 95 %2014: 93.3 %2015: 91.9 %2016: 94.6 %2017: 96.1 %2018: 90.7 %2019: 90.4 %2020: 91.6 %2021: 97.7 %2022: 95.1 %2023: 95.3 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Korea stood at 95.3%.

The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 0.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Korea peaked at 97.7% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 58.4%, in 2009.

That places Korea 1st out of 62 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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, 15-24 years old, both sexes (%) in Korea, 2008 to 2023.
Year % Change
2008 87.1%
2009 58.4% -33.0%
2011 96.6% +65.4%
2012 96.3% -0.3%
2013 95.0% -1.3%
2014 93.3% -1.8%
2015 91.9% -1.5%
2016 94.6% +2.9%
2017 96.1% +1.6%
2018 90.7% -5.6%
2019 90.4% -0.3%
2020 91.6% +1.3%
2021 97.7% +6.7%
2022 95.1% -2.7%
2023 95.3% +0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 72.8% 58.4% 87.1% 2
2010s 93.9% 90.4% 96.6% 9
2020s 94.9% 91.6% 97.7% 4

Countries ranked near Korea

  1. 2 Iceland 94.8% compare
  2. 3 Hong Kong, China 92.4% compare
  3. 4 Malta 89.6% compare

See the full ranking of 62 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 95.3% 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 97.7% in 2021.
What is the lowest proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers recorded in Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 58.4% in 2009.
How does Korea rank for proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers?
Korea ranks 1st out of 62 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 0.3%. 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, 15-24 years old, both sexes (%). 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-5/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, 15-24 years old, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
62 places, 774 data points, 2002–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release