Share of students from abroad in South Korea
South Korea: Share of students from abroad was 5.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of students from abroad in South Korea, 1998–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 5.3% for share of students from abroad in 2024. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.1% on the previous year and up 233.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students from abroad in South Korea peaked at 5.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1998.
That places South Korea 65th out of 134 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of students from abroad in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 0.1% | — |
| 1999 | 0.1% | +5.0% |
| 2000 | 0.1% | +11.1% |
| 2001 | 0.1% | +9.5% |
| 2002 | 0.2% | +25.5% |
| 2003 | 0.2% | +57.6% |
| 2004 | 0.3% | +37.4% |
| 2005 | 0.5% | +44.4% |
| 2006 | 0.7% | +43.9% |
| 2007 | 1.0% | +43.3% |
| 2008 | 1.3% | +26.4% |
| 2009 | 1.6% | +23.5% |
| 2010 | 1.8% | +16.5% |
| 2011 | 1.9% | +3.2% |
| 2012 | 1.8% | -5.1% |
| 2013 | 1.7% | -6.2% |
| 2014 | 1.6% | -4.9% |
| 2015 | 1.7% | +5.6% |
| 2016 | 1.9% | +15.7% |
| 2017 | 2.3% | +16.9% |
| 2018 | 2.7% | +21.8% |
| 2019 | 3.3% | +18.5% |
| 2020 | 3.7% | +14.4% |
| 2021 | 4.1% | +9.4% |
| 2022 | 4.4% | +7.0% |
| 2023 | 4.6% | +5.9% |
| 2024 | 5.3% | +14.1% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 5.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.6%, 50% of the median. (60 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 5.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.7%, 1.1× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 0.6% | 0.1% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.1% | 1.6% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.4% | 3.7% | 5.3% | 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 share of students from abroad in South Korea?
- Share of students from abroad in South Korea was 5.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of students from abroad recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 5.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of students from abroad recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1998.
- How does South Korea rank for share of students from abroad?
- South Korea ranks 65th out of 134 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of students from abroad rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 233.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 students from abroad. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
International students as a share of the country's overall tertiary enrollment. International students are those who move from their home countries for education, identified based on their past education, residence, or distinct immigration regulations.