Population with tertiary education — all countries

Population with tertiary education — South Korea

Population with tertiary education in South Korea in 2024 — 36.46%. Ranked 5 in the world out of 41. Since 2003, the indicator has risen by 14.47 pp.

2024 36.46% +0.82 pp vs 2023
World rank 5of 41
Period maximum 36.46%2024
Period minimum 21.98%2003

Trend over time

2003–2024 · % of population aged 25+

Population with tertiary education — South Korea, 2003–20242025303540200320062009201220152018202120242003: 21.98%2004: 22.33%2005: 23%2006: 23.92%2007: 24.77%2008: 25.67%2009: 26.52%2010: 24.36%2011: 27.4%2012: 27.84%2013: 28.78%2014: 30.09%2015: 28.68%2016: 31.77%2017: 32.15%2018: 33.02%2019: 33.6%2020: 33.87%2021: 34.24%2022: 34.54%2023: 35.64%2024: 36.46%
Change over the period: +14.47 pp Annual average: 0.69 pp
Population with tertiary education — South Korea, by year South Korea All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2024 36.46 +0.82 pp
2023 35.64 +1.1 pp
2022 34.54 +0.29 pp
2021 34.24 +0.37 pp
2020 33.87 +0.27 pp
2019 33.6 +0.58 pp
2018 33.02 +0.87 pp
2017 32.15 +0.39 pp
2016 31.77 +3.09 pp
2015 28.68 −1.4 pp
2014 30.09 +1.3 pp
2013 28.78 +0.94 pp
2012 27.84 +0.44 pp
2011 27.4 +3.04 pp
2010 24.36 −2.16 pp
2009 26.52 +0.84 pp
2008 25.67 +0.91 pp
2007 24.77 +0.85 pp
2006 23.92 +0.92 pp
2005 23 +0.68 pp
2004 22.33 +0.34 pp
2003 21.98

Eastern Asia, 2024

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

KR South Korea 36.46 MN Mongolia 35.52

About the indicator

The share of the population aged 25 and older that has completed education at the bachelor's level or above. It differs fundamentally from tertiary enrollment: enrollment counts current students, while this indicator is the accumulated result of past decades, so it changes slowly and reflects not the policy of today but the state of the system twenty or thirty years ago.

Important: An accumulated stock, not the current flow: a country whose tertiary enrollment has grown quickly will keep catching up on this indicator for another generation.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), license CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.