Korea, Rep.: Secondary education, teachers

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Korea, Rep.'s secondary education, teachers fell 0.3% on 2023 (from 233,845 to 233,046).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.7% and a typical year strayed about 1.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below 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 13.8% in 1972 and the biggest yearly fall was 2% in 1995. 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 8% 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 16th highest value of the 85 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

• Ethiopia — 13th of 85: 272,545
• Kazakhstan — 14th of 85: 251,627
• Saudi Arabia — 15th of 85: 242,375
• Peru — 17th of 85: 224,754
• Malaysia — 18th of 85: 217,105
• Morocco — 19th of 85: 183,432

What this measures

Secondary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at secondary level, including full-time and part-time teachers.

Limitations: The precision of this indicator can be influenced by the enumeration method used, such as headcount or 'full-time equivalent' count of teachers.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 54 values

Secondary education, teachers in nearby economies

• Brunei Darussalam — 5,040 (2023)
• Cambodia — 107,312 (2021)
• China — 7.41 million (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 31,678 (2024)
• Indonesia — 1.35 million (2025)
• Japan — 627,777 (2023)
• Kiribati — 969 (2024)
• Lao PDR — 35,584 (2022)
• Macao SAR, China — 2,938 (2024)
• Malaysia — 217,105 (2024)
• Mongolia — 25,798 (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, female — 151,467 (2024)
• Secondary education, teachers (% female) — 64.99% (2024)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Korea, Rep.'s secondary education, teachers?

233,046 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 346.17% from 52,232 in 1971 (2.86% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 239,996 in 2014 and the lowest 52,232 in 1971.

How does Korea, Rep. rank?

16th highest of 85 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in secondary education, teachers unusual for Korea, Rep.?

In 2024, Korea, Rep.'s secondary education, teachers fell 0.3% on 2023 (from 233,845 to 233,046). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.7% and a typical year strayed about 1.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.SEC.TCHR, 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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