PISA: 15-year-olds by mathematics proficiency level (%). Below Level 1 in South Korea

South Korea: PISA: 15-year-olds by mathematics proficiency level (%). Below Level 1 was 5.4% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
5.4%
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
40th
of 53 countries
All-time high
5.4%
in 2015
All-time low
1.9%
in 2009
Years of data
6
2003–2018

PISA: 15-year-olds by mathematics proficiency level (%). Below Level 1 in South Korea, 2003–2018

02462003201020182003: 2.52006: 2.32009: 1.92012: 2.72015: 5.42018: 5.4

Source: OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

Analysis

South Korea recorded 5.4% for pisa: 15-year-olds by mathematics proficiency level (%). below level 1 in 2018.

That represents a change of down 0.9% on the previous year and up 181.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, pisa: 15-year-olds by mathematics proficiency level (%). below level 1 in South Korea peaked at 5.4% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 2009.

That places South Korea 40th out of 53 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.

PISA: 15-year-olds by mathematics proficiency level (%). Below Level 1 in South Korea, year by year

Annual values for PISA: 15-year-olds by mathematics proficiency level (%). Below Level 1 in South Korea, 2003 to 2018.
Year Value Change
2003 2.5% —
2006 2.3% -5.5%
2009 1.9% -17.5%
2012 2.7% +41.9%
2015 5.4% +100.2%
2018 5.4% -0.9%

South Korea compared with similar countries

  • South Korea's 5.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 7.3%, 74% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
  • South Korea's 5.4% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 6.5%, 83% of the median. (8 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.2% 1.9% 2.5% 3
2010s 4.5% 2.7% 5.4% 3

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 37 Norway 6.5% compare
  2. 38 United Kingdom 6.4% compare
  3. 39 Sweden 6.0% compare
  4. 41 Canada 5.0% compare
  5. 42 Switzerland 4.8% compare
  6. 43 Slovenia 4.8% compare

See the full ranking of 53 places →

More reference data data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is pisa: 15-year-olds by mathematics proficiency level (%). below level 1 in South Korea?
Pisa: 15-year-olds by mathematics proficiency level (%). below level 1 in South Korea was 5.4% in 2018, according to OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
What is the highest pisa: 15-year-olds by mathematics proficiency level (%). below level 1 recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 5.4% in 2015.
What is the lowest pisa: 15-year-olds by mathematics proficiency level (%). below level 1 recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 2009.
How does South Korea rank for pisa: 15-year-olds by mathematics proficiency level (%). below level 1?
South Korea ranks 40th out of 53 countries with data for 2018.
Is pisa: 15-year-olds by mathematics proficiency level (%). below level 1 rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 181.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), published as part of PISA: 15-year-olds by mathematics proficiency level (%). Below Level 1. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

PISA: 15-year-olds by mathematics proficiency level (%). Below Level 1 in South Korea. Statizoid, drawing on OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Retrieved 25 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/pisa-15-year-olds-by-mathematics-proficiency-level-percent-below-level-1/korea-rep/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/pisa-15-year-olds-by-mathematics-proficiency-level-percent-below-level-1/korea-rep/">PISA: 15-year-olds by mathematics proficiency level (%). Below Level 1 in South Korea</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
PISA: 15-year-olds by mathematics proficiency level (%). Below Level 1
Source
OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
53 places, 303 data points, 2003–2018
Last refreshed

Percentage of 15-year-old students below the lowest proficiency level (scoring 358 or below) on the PISA mathematics scale. Students below Level 1 may be able to perform very direct and straightforward mathematical tasks, such as reading a single value from a well-labeled chart or table where the labels on the chart match the words in the stimulus and question, so that the selection criteria are clear and the relationship between the chart and the aspects of the context depicted are evident, and performing arithmetic calculations with whole numbers by following clear and well-defined instructions. Data reflects country performance in the stated year according to PISA reports, but may not be comparable across years or countries. Consult the PISA website for more detailed information: http://www.oecd.org/pisa/