Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary … both sexes UIS in South Korea
South Korea: Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary … both sexes UIS was 89,693 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in South Korea, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in South Korea is 89,693, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.7% on the previous year and down 21.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in South Korea peaked at 118,670 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 62,025, in 1998.
That places South Korea 14th out of 210 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary … both sexes UIS in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 62,025 | — |
| 1999 | 66,754 | +7.6% |
| 2000 | 69,472 | +4.1% |
| 2001 | 76,324 | +9.9% |
| 2002 | 83,130 | +8.9% |
| 2003 | 87,471 | +5.2% |
| 2004 | 89,376 | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 94,030 | +5.2% |
| 2006 | 99,599 | +5.9% |
| 2007 | 106,080 | +6.5% |
| 2008 | 111,417 | +5.0% |
| 2009 | 118,670 | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 118,176 | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 117,416 | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 112,801 | -3.9% |
| 2013 | 113,799 | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 110,018 | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 107,739 | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 105,318 | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 105,283 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 101,515 | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 101,388 | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 101,901 | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 88,949 | -12.7% |
| 2022 | 87,310 | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 89,693 | +2.7% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 89,693 is above the median for high income countries, which is 8,555, 10.5× the median. (75 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 89,693 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3,904, 23.0× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 64,390 | 62,025 | 66,754 | 2 |
| 2000s | 93,557 | 69,472 | 118,670 | 10 |
| 2010s | 109,345 | 101,388 | 118,176 | 10 |
| 2020s | 91,963 | 87,310 | 101,901 | 4 |
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 total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in South Korea?
- Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in South Korea was 89,693 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 118,670 in 2009.
- What is the lowest total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 62,025 in 1998.
- How does South Korea rank for total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying?
- South Korea ranks 14th out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroad, all countries, both sexes (UIS estimate) (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release