Education in South Korea

157 indicators covering education for South Korea.

IndicatorLatest Year10-yr change Rank
Population ages 15-64 69.5% 2025 down 5.2% 32nd
Population ages 0-14 10.2% 2025 down 25.9% 215th
Primary school starting age 6 years 2025 unchanged 33rd
Lower secondary school starting age 12 years 2025 unchanged 30th
School enrollment, primary 100.9% 2024 up 1.4% 99th
Primary education, teachers 173,133 2024 up 4.4% 39th
School enrollment, primary, female 100.8% 2024 up 1.6% 91st
School enrollment, primary, male 101.0% 2024 up 1.2% 101st
Labor force, total 29.87 million 2025 up 8.5% 23rd
Labor force, female 44.4% 2025 up 5.8% 104th
School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index 0.9982 GPI 2020 down 0.3% 73rd
School enrollment, secondary 96.3% 2024 down 2.4% 77th
Probability of dying among youth ages 20-24 years 1.9 per 1,000 2024 up 11.8% 168th
Probability of dying among adolescents ages 15-19 years 1.2 per 1,000 2024 unchanged 170th
Probability of dying among adolescents ages 10-14 years 0.5 per 1,000 2024 unchanged 163rd
Probability of dying among children ages 5-9 years 0.4 per 1,000 2024 down 20.0% 161st
Secondary education, teachers 233,046 2024 down 2.9% 33rd
School enrollment, secondary, female 95.9% 2024 down 2.5% 82nd
School enrollment, secondary, male 96.6% 2024 down 2.2% 71st
School enrollment, tertiary 111.9% 2024 up 18.4% 5th
School enrollment, primary, private 1.7% 2024 up 6.9% 180th
School enrollment, preprimary 91.8% 2020 down 1.1% 55th
School enrollment, tertiary, male 118.0% 2024 up 11.7% 3rd
School enrollment, tertiary, female 105.2% 2024 up 28.8% 16th
School enrollment, secondary (gross), gender parity index 0.9944 GPI 2020 down 0.0% 120th
School enrollment, tertiary (gross), gender parity index 0.8915 GPI 2024 up 15.3% 153rd
Secondary education, teachers, female 151,467 2024 up 7.9% 30th
Primary completion rate, female 102.6% 2024 up 5.2% 30th
Primary completion rate, male 103.1% 2024 up 4.3% 22nd
Government expenditure on education, total 5.4% 2022 up 27.5% 43rd
Secondary education, general pupils 2.78 million 2017 down 19.0% 32nd
Lower secondary completion rate, total 97.3% 2024 up 1.1% 48th
School enrollment, preprimary, female 91.9% 2020 down 1.0% 50th
School enrollment, preprimary, male 91.7% 2020 down 1.3% 51st
Persistence to last grade of primary, total 98.9% 2023 down 0.5% 30th
Secondary education, general pupils 48.5% 2017 up 3.1% 162nd
Lower secondary completion rate, female 97.0% 2024 up 1.0% 52nd
Lower secondary completion rate, male 97.5% 2024 up 1.2% 42nd
Children out of school 0.1% 2024 down 98.1% 193rd
Primary education, duration 6 years 2025 unchanged 25th
Primary education, pupils 2.51 million 2024 down 8.4% 60th
Secondary education, duration 6 years 2025 unchanged 91st
Secondary education, pupils 2.66 million 2024 down 25.7% 43rd
Persistence to last grade of primary, female 98.9% 2023 down 0.5% 36th
Persistence to last grade of primary, male 98.9% 2023 down 0.4% 26th
Secondary education, vocational pupils 293,568 2017 down 41.0% 35th
Number of under-five deaths, male 381 2024 down 56.2% 117th
Number of under-five deaths, female 298 2024 down 57.4% 117th
Number of infant deaths, male 313 2024 down 55.2% 118th
Number of infant deaths, female 243 2024 down 56.8% 118th
Children out of school, female 1.2% 2022 down 7.6% 156th
Children out of school, male 1.0% 2022 down 13.6% 156th
Secondary education, vocational pupils 41.3% 2017 down 10.1% 96th
Gross intake ratio in first grade of primary education, total 100.9% 2017 down 7.6% 104th
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) 2.7% 2025 down 22.7% 158th
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) 2.7% 2025 down 25.5% 150th
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) 2.7% 2025 down 24.3% 158th
Primary education, teachers 76.7% 2024 down 2.4% 108th
Repeaters, primary, total 0.0% 2017 up 68.8% 176th
Persistence to grade 5, total 98.9% 2023 down 0.5% 27th