Female researchers: Business enterprise … Business enterprise HC in South Korea
South Korea: Female researchers: Business enterprise … Business enterprise HC was 19.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (HC) in South Korea, 1997–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc) in South Korea is 19.9%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.4% on the previous year and up 44.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc) in South Korea peaked at 19.9% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 5.6%, in 1997.
South Korea ranks 66th of 78 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Female researchers: Business enterprise … Business enterprise HC in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 5.6% | — |
| 1998 | 5.7% | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 6.2% | +9.1% |
| 2000 | 7.8% | +25.9% |
| 2001 | 9.2% | +17.8% |
| 2002 | 9.5% | +3.6% |
| 2003 | 9.1% | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 9.6% | +6.0% |
| 2005 | 10.4% | +7.9% |
| 2006 | 10.3% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 10.8% | +4.8% |
| 2008 | 11.2% | +3.6% |
| 2009 | 11.4% | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 11.9% | +4.0% |
| 2011 | 12.8% | +7.3% |
| 2012 | 13.2% | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 13.8% | +4.4% |
| 2014 | 14.2% | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 14.8% | +4.5% |
| 2016 | 15.5% | +4.4% |
| 2017 | 16.0% | +2.9% |
| 2018 | 16.3% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 16.9% | +3.9% |
| 2020 | 17.5% | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 18.4% | +5.6% |
| 2022 | 19.2% | +4.1% |
| 2023 | 19.9% | +3.4% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 19.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 26.8%, 74% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 19.9% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 33.9%, 59% of the median. (10 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Female researchers: Business enterprise … Business enterprise HC in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +25.9% | 6.2% | 7.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.8% | 5.6% | 6.2% | 3 |
| 2000s | 9.9% | 7.8% | 11.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.5% | 11.9% | 16.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.7% | 17.5% | 19.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More science & technology data for South Korea
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 172.52 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.72 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 89.22 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 859.55 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 6.42 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 6.36 % change on previous year (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents, gaps filled 50,459 (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 50,459 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc) in South Korea?
- Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc) in South Korea was 19.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc) recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 19.9% in 2023.
- What is the lowest female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc) recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.6% in 1997.
- How does South Korea rank for female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc)?
- South Korea ranks 66th out of 78 countries with data for 2023.
- Is female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc) rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 44.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (HC) - Business enterprise. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release