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

Korea: Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers was 94.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
94.6%
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
2nd
of 60 countries
All-time high
95.8%
in 2021
All-time low
28.6%
in 2009
Years of data
15
2008–2023

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

204060801002008201520232008: 69.2 %2009: 28.6 %2011: 75.9 %2012: 75.8 %2013: 80.8 %2014: 74.2 %2015: 83.9 %2016: 88.2 %2017: 90.3 %2018: 89 %2019: 91.6 %2020: 92.2 %2021: 95.8 %2022: 95 %2023: 94.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Korea recorded 94.6% for proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in 2023.

That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and up 17.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Korea peaked at 95.8% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 28.6%, in 2009.

Korea ranks 2nd of 60 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, 25-74 years old, male (%) in Korea, 2008 to 2023.
Year % Change
2008 69.2%
2009 28.6% -58.7%
2011 75.9% +165.4%
2012 75.8% -0.1%
2013 80.8% +6.6%
2014 74.2% -8.2%
2015 83.9% +13.1%
2016 88.2% +5.1%
2017 90.3% +2.4%
2018 89.0% -1.4%
2019 91.6% +2.9%
2020 92.2% +0.7%
2021 95.8% +3.9%
2022 95.0% -0.8%
2023 94.6% -0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 48.9% 28.6% 69.2% 2
2010s 83.3% 74.2% 91.6% 9
2020s 94.4% 92.2% 95.8% 4

Countries ranked near Korea

  1. 1 Norway 95.0% compare
  2. 3 Iceland 93.6% compare
  3. 4 Denmark 90.0% compare
  4. 5 Hong Kong, China 88.3% compare

See the full ranking of 60 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 94.6% 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 95.8% in 2021.
What is the lowest proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers recorded in Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 28.6% in 2009.
How does Korea rank for proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers?
Korea ranks 2nd out of 60 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 17.1%. 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, male (%). 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-7/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, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
60 places, 757 data points, 2002–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release