Pupil-qualified teacher ratio in upper secondary (headcount basis) in South Korea
South Korea: Pupil-qualified teacher ratio in upper secondary (headcount basis) was 10.53 headcount basis in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
10.53 headcount basis
Change on year
up 2.9%
World rank
47th
of 63 countries
All-time high
20.64 headcount basis
in 2000
All-time low
10.23 headcount basis
in 2023
Years of data
25
2000–2024
Pupil-qualified teacher ratio in upper secondary in South Korea, 2000–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in headcount basis.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 10.53 headcount basis for pupil-qualified teacher ratio in upper secondary in 2024.
That represents a change of up 2.9% on the previous year and down 25.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pupil-qualified teacher ratio in upper secondary in South Korea peaked at 20.64 headcount basis in 2000 and was at its lowest, 10.23 headcount basis, in 2023.
South Korea ranks 47th of 63 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Pupil-qualified teacher ratio in upper secondary (headcount basis) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | headcount basis | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 20.64 headcount basis | — |
| 2001 | 19 headcount basis | -7.9% |
| 2002 | 16.28 headcount basis | -14.3% |
| 2003 | 15.86 headcount basis | -2.6% |
| 2004 | 15.69 headcount basis | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 15.83 headcount basis | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 15.67 headcount basis | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 16.04 headcount basis | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 16.28 headcount basis | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 16.52 headcount basis | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 16.24 headcount basis | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 14.72 headcount basis | -9.4% |
| 2012 | 14.86 headcount basis | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 14.64 headcount basis | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 14.16 headcount basis | -3.2% |
| 2015 | 13.86 headcount basis | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 13.58 headcount basis | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 13.03 headcount basis | -4.1% |
| 2018 | 12.14 headcount basis | -6.9% |
| 2019 | 11.26 headcount basis | -7.3% |
| 2020 | 10.82 headcount basis | -3.9% |
| 2021 | 10.61 headcount basis | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 10.32 headcount basis | -2.7% |
| 2023 | 10.23 headcount basis | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 10.53 headcount basis | +2.9% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 10.53 headcount basis is below the median for high income countries, which is 11.21 headcount basis, 94% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 10.53 headcount basis is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 16.8 headcount basis, 63% of the median. (10 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.78 headcount basis | 15.67 headcount basis | 20.64 headcount basis | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.85 headcount basis | 11.26 headcount basis | 16.24 headcount basis | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.5 headcount basis | 10.23 headcount basis | 10.82 headcount basis | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More education data for South Korea
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 233,046 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 76 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 434,627 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 412,067 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.66 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.51 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -4.15 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0484 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pupil-qualified teacher ratio in upper secondary in South Korea?
- Pupil-qualified teacher ratio in upper secondary in South Korea was 10.53 headcount basis in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest pupil-qualified teacher ratio in upper secondary recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 20.64 headcount basis in 2000.
- What is the lowest pupil-qualified teacher ratio in upper secondary recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.23 headcount basis in 2023.
- How does South Korea rank for pupil-qualified teacher ratio in upper secondary?
- South Korea ranks 47th out of 63 countries with data for 2024.
- Is pupil-qualified teacher ratio in upper secondary rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Pupil-qualified teacher ratio in upper secondary (headcount basis). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release