Korea, Rep.: Educational attainment, Doctoral or equivalent, population 25+, male (%) (cumulative)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Korea, Rep.'s educational attainment, Doctoral or equivalent, population 25+, male (%) (cumulative) rose 0.09 percentage points on 2023 (from 1.26% to 1.36%).

Across the 14 yearly changes before that (2010 to 2023), the average change was +0.04 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.1 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.21 percentage points in 2010 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.12 percentage points in 2011. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 12% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Korea, Rep. had the 4th highest value of the 11 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Korea, Rep. in the 2024 ranking

• Switzerland — 1st of 11: 4.09%
• United States — 2nd of 11: 2.63%
• Australia — 3rd of 11: 2.18%
• Greece — 5th of 11: 0.94%
• Portugal — 6th of 11: 0.83%
• Serbia — 7th of 11: 0.63%

What this measures

The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed Doctoral or equivalent.

Limitations: Caution is required when using this indicator for cross-country comparison, since the countries do not always classify degrees and qualifications at the same International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) levels, even if they are received at roughly the same age or after a similar number of years of schooling. Also, certain educational programmes and study courses cannot be easily classified according to ISCED. This indicator only measures educational attainment in terms of level of education attained, i.e. years of schooling, and does not necessarily reveal the quality of the education (learning achievement and other impacts).

All 16 values

Educational attainment, Doctoral or equivalent, population 25+, male (%) (cumulative) in nearby economies

• Australia — 2.18% (2024)

More education data for Korea, Rep.

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 2.51 million (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 173,133 (2024)
• Primary education, teachers (% female) — 76.66% (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 2.66 million (2024)
• Secondary education, teachers — 233,046 (2024)
• Secondary education, teachers, female — 151,467 (2024)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Korea, Rep.'s educational attainment, Doctoral or equivalent, population 25+, male (%) (cumulative)?

1.36% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2009?

It is up 0.64 percentage points from 0.71% in 2009. The highest value was 1.36% in 2024 and the lowest 0.71% in 2009.

How does Korea, Rep. rank?

4th highest of 11 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in educational attainment, Doctoral or equivalent, population 25+, male (%) (cumulative) unusual for Korea, Rep.?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.TER.CUAT.DO.MA.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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