- Home
- Countries
- North Korea
- Education
KP
Education · East Asia & Pacific · Low income
North Korea: education in numbers
Primary enrolment is 92.1% (2018). Primary completion is 97.1% (2009). Secondary enrolment is 94.3% (2015).
Education, % of budget
North KoreaEast Asia & PacificLow incomeWorld
9 indicators
Education: North Korea in detail
Latest reported value, world rank and rank within East Asia & Pacific; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.
| Indicator | Latest | World rank | In region | ~2000 | ~2010 | ~2020 | 10-year change | Region | Income group | World | Since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary enrolmentPrimary school enrolment, % gross | 92.1%2018 | — | — | · | 101.2%2009 | 92.1%2018 | — | 100.0% | 97.6% | 102.2% | |
| Primary completionPrimary completion rate, % of age group | 97.1%2009 | — | — | · | 97.1%2009 | · | — | 95.4% | 62.9% | 88.0% | |
| Secondary enrolmentSecondary school enrolment, % gross | 94.3%2015 | — | — | · | · | · | — | 92.0% | 41.5% | 77.3% | |
| Tertiary enrolmentTertiary enrolment, % gross | 26.7%2018 | 114/172 | 21/27 | · | 29.8%2011 | 26.7%2018 | — | 63.3% | 9.3% | 43.6% | |
| Out-of-school childrenChildren out of school, % of primary school age | 0.5%2009 | — | — | · | 0.5%2009 | · | — | — | 24.1% | — | |
| Adult literacyAdult literacy rate, % of people 15+ | 100.0%2008 | — | — | · | 100.0%2008 | · | — | 96.6% | 63.6% | 87.7% | |
| Youth literacyYouth literacy rate, % of people 15–24 | 100.0%2008 | — | — | · | 100.0%2008 | · | — | 99.1% | 75.4% | 93.1% | |
| Pupils per teacherPupils per teacher, primary | 20.32018 | 76/173 | 13/27 | · | 22.02009 | 20.32018 | — | 17.5 | 39.8 | 23.4 | |
| Education, % of budgetEducation spending, % of government expenditure | 14.6%2025 | 61/179 | 9/28 | · | 13.1% | 14.2% | +0.5 ppsince 2015 | 13.0% | 16.7% | 14.0% |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.
neighbours
North Korea and its neighbours
Countries sharing a land border with North Korea. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.
| Indicator | North Korea | China | Russia | South Korea |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary enrolment | 92.1%2018 | 99.6%2024 | 97.7%2023 | 100.9%2024 |
| Primary completion | 97.1%2009 | 103.5%2010 | 100.0%2019 | 102.9%2024 |
| Secondary enrolment | 94.3%2015 | 92.3%2012 | 92.5%2023 | 96.3%2024 |
| Tertiary enrolment | 26.7%2018 | 76.9%2024 | 60.4%2024 | 111.9%2024 |
| Out-of-school children | 0.5%2009 | — | 4.9%2023 | 0.1%2024 |
| Adult literacy | 100.0%2008 | 96.7%2020 | 99.9%2021 | 98.0%2008 |
| Youth literacy | 100.0%2008 | 99.8%2020 | 99.9%2021 | 99.9%2008 |
| Pupils per teacher | 20.32018 | 16.42018 | 21.32017 | 16.32017 |
| Education, % of budget | 14.6%2025 | 11.9%2023 | 14.3%2018 | — |