Share of children who have completed primary school in South Korea
South Korea: Share of children who have completed primary school was 100.0% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Share of children who have completed primary school in South Korea, 1981–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of children who have completed primary school in South Korea is 100.0%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children who have completed primary school in South Korea peaked at 100.0% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 99.7%, in 1981.
That places South Korea 1st out of 165 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
Share of children who have completed primary school in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 99.7% | — |
| 1982 | 99.8% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 99.8% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 99.8% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 99.8% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 99.8% | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 99.8% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 99.8% | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 99.8% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 99.8% | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 99.8% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 99.8% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 99.8% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 99.8% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 100.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 99.6%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 100.0% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 98.6%, 1.0× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 99.8% | 99.7% | 99.8% | 9 |
| 1990s | 99.9% | 99.8% | 99.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 99.9% | 99.9% | 99.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 100.0% | 99.9% | 100.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 6 |
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 share of children who have completed primary school in South Korea?
- Share of children who have completed primary school in South Korea was 100.0% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children who have completed primary school recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 2019.
- What is the lowest share of children who have completed primary school recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 99.7% in 1981.
- How does South Korea rank for share of children who have completed primary school?
- South Korea ranks 1st out of 165 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of children who have completed primary school rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children who have completed primary school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of children who are three to five years older than the official age for the last grade of primary education who have successfully completed it. This broader age band is used to include children who started school late or had to resit particular years.