Teachers in primary education, male (number) in South Korea
South Korea: Teachers in primary education, male (number) was 40,412 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
40,412
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
49th
of 212 countries
All-time high
75,497
in 1982
All-time low
34,841
in 2008
Years of data
53
1971–2024
Teachers in primary education, male in South Korea, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for teachers in primary education, male in South Korea is 40,412, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, teachers in primary education, male in South Korea peaked at 75,497 in 1982 and was at its lowest, 34,841, in 2008.
South Korea ranks 49th of 212 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 53 years of available data.
Teachers in primary education, male (number) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 71,667 | — |
| 1972 | 71,047 | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 70,983 | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 71,413 | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 71,324 | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 71,686 | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 72,121 | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 73,398 | +1.8% |
| 1979 | 74,205 | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 75,014 | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 75,272 | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 75,497 | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 74,852 | -0.9% |
| 1984 | 74,039 | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 73,075 | -1.3% |
| 1986 | 72,185 | -1.2% |
| 1987 | 71,316 | -1.2% |
| 1988 | 70,725 | -0.8% |
| 1989 | 69,823 | -1.3% |
| 1990 | 69,138 | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 68,196 | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 66,881 | -1.9% |
| 1993 | 65,696 | -1.8% |
| 1994 | 63,248 | -3.7% |
| 1995 | 61,414 | -2.9% |
| 1996 | 59,040 | -3.9% |
| 1997 | 45,912 | -22.2% |
| 1998 | 44,394 | -3.3% |
| 1999 | 40,645 | -8.4% |
| 2000 | 37,264 | -8.3% |
| 2001 | 36,393 | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 36,871 | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 37,582 | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 36,989 | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 36,148 | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 35,577 | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 35,157 | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 34,841 | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 34,950 | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 34,975 | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 35,856 | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 35,377 | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 35,513 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 35,564 | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 35,987 | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 36,511 | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 37,017 | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 37,567 | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 37,736 | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 38,061 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 38,771 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 39,761 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | 40,412 | +1.6% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 40,412 is above the median for high income countries, which is 1,999, 20.2× the median. (75 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 40,412 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3,237, 12.5× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 71,983 | 70,983 | 74,205 | 9 |
| 1980s | 73,180 | 69,823 | 75,497 | 10 |
| 1990s | 58,456 | 40,645 | 69,138 | 10 |
| 2000s | 36,177 | 34,841 | 37,582 | 10 |
| 2010s | 36,041 | 34,975 | 37,567 | 9 |
| 2020s | 38,948 | 37,736 | 40,412 | 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 teachers in primary education, male in South Korea?
- Teachers in primary education, male in South Korea was 40,412 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest teachers in primary education, male recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 75,497 in 1982.
- What is the lowest teachers in primary education, male recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 34,841 in 2008.
- How does South Korea rank for teachers in primary education, male?
- South Korea ranks 49th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
- Is teachers in primary education, male rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.8%. 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 Teachers in primary education, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 53 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release