Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Republic of Korea

Republic of Korea: Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age was 85.3% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
85.3%
World rank
2nd
of 53 countries
All-time high
94.2%
in 2009
All-time low
84.9%
in 2018
Years of data
8
2000–2022

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Republic of Korea, 2000–2022

0204060801002000201120222000: 94.1 %2003: 93.1 %2006: 94.2 %2009: 94.2 %2012: 92.3 %2015: 86.3 %2018: 84.9 %2022: 85.3 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Republic of Korea recorded 85.3% for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in 2022.

That represents a change of down 7.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Republic of Korea peaked at 94.2% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 84.9%, in 2018.

That places Republic of Korea 2nd out of 53 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Republic of Korea, year by year

Annual values for Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Republic of Korea, 2000 to 2022.
Year % Change
2000 94.1%
2003 93.1% -1.0%
2006 94.2% +1.1%
2009 94.2% +0.0%
2012 92.3% -1.9%
2015 86.3% -6.5%
2018 84.9% -1.7%
2022 85.3% +0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 93.9% 93.1% 94.2% 4
2010s 87.9% 84.9% 92.3% 3
2020s 85.3% 85.3% 85.3% 1

Countries ranked near Republic of Korea

  1. 1 Ireland 87.4% compare
  2. 3 Estonia 83.5% compare
  3. 4 Canada 81.1% compare
  4. 5 Denmark 80.8% compare

See the full ranking of 53 places →

More reference data data for Republic of Korea

All data for Republic of Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Republic of Korea?
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Republic of Korea was 85.3% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Republic of Korea?
The highest recorded value was 94.2% in 2009.
What is the lowest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Republic of Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 84.9% in 2018.
How does Republic of Korea rank for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age?
Republic of Korea ranks 2nd out of 53 countries with data for 2022.
Is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Republic of Korea data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Republic of Korea. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-children-reaching-sufficient-reading-comprehension-by-the-end-of-lower-secondary/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
53 places, 379 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed

Share of children who achieve minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education. This data accounts for school completion rates to estimate skills for all children, not just those in school.