Share of students studying abroad in South Korea
South Korea: Share of students studying abroad was 3.25 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
3.25
Change on year
up 5.1%
World rank
122nd
of 175 countries
All-time high
3.69
in 2009
All-time low
2.31
in 2000
Years of data
26
1998–2023
Share of students studying abroad in South Korea, 1998–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, share of students studying abroad in South Korea stood at 3.25.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.1% on the previous year and down 4.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students studying abroad in South Korea peaked at 3.69 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 2.31, in 2000.
That places South Korea 122nd out of 175 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Share of students studying abroad in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 2.35 | — |
| 1999 | 2.35 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 2.31 | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 2.44 | +5.4% |
| 2002 | 2.59 | +6.2% |
| 2003 | 2.71 | +4.8% |
| 2004 | 2.77 | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 2.93 | +5.7% |
| 2006 | 3.11 | +6.1% |
| 2007 | 3.31 | +6.4% |
| 2008 | 3.48 | +5.2% |
| 2009 | 3.69 | +6.0% |
| 2010 | 3.61 | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 3.5 | -3.2% |
| 2012 | 3.36 | -3.9% |
| 2013 | 3.4 | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 3.32 | -2.6% |
| 2015 | 3.3 | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 3.29 | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 3.36 | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 3.29 | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 3.34 | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 3.4 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 3.06 | -10.1% |
| 2022 | 3.09 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 3.25 | +5.1% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 3.25 is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.28, 62% of the median. (67 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 3.25 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.14, 78% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.35 | 2.35 | 2.35 | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.93 | 2.31 | 3.69 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.38 | 3.29 | 3.61 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.2 | 3.06 | 3.4 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More education data for South Korea
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 98.79 (2022)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 99.94 (2024)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students studying abroad in South Korea?
- Share of students studying abroad in South Korea was 3.25 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of students studying abroad recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 3.69 in 2009.
- What is the lowest share of students studying abroad recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.31 in 2000.
- How does South Korea rank for share of students studying abroad?
- South Korea ranks 122nd out of 175 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of students studying abroad rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of students studying abroad. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).