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

Korea: Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers was 92.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
92.6%
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
2nd
of 62 countries
All-time high
94.7%
in 2021
All-time low
26.8%
in 2009
Years of data
15
2008–2023

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

204060801002008201520232008: 62.2 %2009: 26.8 %2011: 69.7 %2012: 69.8 %2013: 75.2 %2014: 71.5 %2015: 78.9 %2016: 83.9 %2017: 87.2 %2018: 86 %2019: 89.3 %2020: 89.7 %2021: 94.7 %2022: 93.6 %2023: 92.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Korea recorded 92.6% for proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in 2023.

That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and up 23.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Korea peaked at 94.7% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 26.8%, in 2009.

That places Korea 2nd 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, 25-74 years old, both sexes (%) in Korea, 2008 to 2023.
Year % Change
2008 62.2%
2009 26.8% -56.9%
2011 69.7% +160.1%
2012 69.8% +0.1%
2013 75.2% +7.7%
2014 71.5% -4.9%
2015 78.9% +10.3%
2016 83.9% +6.3%
2017 87.2% +3.9%
2018 86.0% -1.4%
2019 89.3% +3.8%
2020 89.7% +0.4%
2021 94.7% +5.6%
2022 93.6% -1.2%
2023 92.6% -1.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 44.5% 26.8% 62.2% 2
2010s 79.1% 69.7% 89.3% 9
2020s 92.7% 89.7% 94.7% 4

Countries ranked near Korea

  1. 1 Norway 95.0% compare
  2. 3 Iceland 92.5% compare
  3. 4 Denmark 87.9% compare
  4. 5 Hong Kong, China 86.7% 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 92.6% 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 94.7% in 2021.
What is the lowest proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers recorded in Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 26.8% in 2009.
How does Korea rank for proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers?
Korea ranks 2nd 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 23.1%. 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, 25-74 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-6/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, 25-74 years old, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
62 places, 760 data points, 2002–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release