Korea Youth Literacy Rate
Literacy rate among youth ages 15-24 SE.ADT.1524.LT.ZS
Korea's youth literacy rate was 99.95% in 2008, ranked 2nd globally. Data from World Bank, covering 2008–2008.
Overview
Korea's youth literacy rate stood at 99.95% in 2008. Korea ranked 2nd globally.
South Korea’s youth literacy rate stood at 99.95 percent in 2008, a figure that represents both the country’s latest reported value and its all‑time peak, tying the nation for the second‑highest position worldwide. This level matches the earliest observation in the dataset, indicating that the country has maintained near‑perfect literacy among young people across the available year. By comparison, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea recorded a marginally higher rate of 100.00 percent, while Spain lagged slightly at 99.56 percent, underscoring South Korea’s position near the top of the global hierarchy. The stability of the 99.95 percent rate suggests that South Korea’s education policies and universal schooling have effectively eliminated basic illiteracy among youth, leaving little room for further gains in the short term. Future improvements are likely to depend on enhancing functional literacy and critical reading skills rather than increasing the headline percentage, which is already near the theoretical maximum.
Data & projection
| Year | Youth Literacy Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 99.95% | – | #2 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Korea matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2006. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw youth literacy rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Korea's youth literacy rate was 99.95% in 2008. Ranked 2nd globally.
Korea's youth literacy rate peaked at 99.95% in 2008.
The lowest youth literacy rate in Korea was 99.95% in 2008.
Korea ranks 2nd globally in youth literacy rate as of 2008.
The World Bank indicator code is SE.ADT.1524.LT.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
The youth literacy rate of Korea in 2008 was 99.95%. This ranks 2nd in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_korea_youth-literacy-rate,
title = {Korea Youth Literacy Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/korea/youth-literacy-rate/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}