Female researchers: Private non-profit … Private non-profit HC in South Korea
South Korea: Female researchers: Private non-profit … Private non-profit HC was 33.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (HC) in South Korea, 1997–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc) in South Korea stood at 33.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.9% on the previous year and up 33.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc) in South Korea peaked at 33.9% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 9.9%, in 2000.
That places South Korea 49th out of 65 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Female researchers: Private non-profit … Private non-profit HC in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 30.1% | — |
| 1998 | 26.7% | -11.4% |
| 1999 | 28.7% | +7.5% |
| 2000 | 9.9% | -65.5% |
| 2001 | 14.2% | +42.9% |
| 2002 | 13.3% | -6.3% |
| 2003 | 11.8% | -10.9% |
| 2004 | 12.2% | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 24.0% | +96.6% |
| 2006 | 30.9% | +28.7% |
| 2007 | 26.8% | -13.2% |
| 2008 | 33.6% | +25.3% |
| 2009 | 30.8% | -8.3% |
| 2010 | 33.9% | +9.9% |
| 2011 | 32.9% | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 23.4% | -29.1% |
| 2013 | 25.1% | +7.6% |
| 2014 | 27.0% | +7.3% |
| 2015 | 27.5% | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 28.6% | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 28.6% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 28.5% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 28.2% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 29.4% | +4.2% |
| 2021 | 29.8% | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 31.3% | +5.0% |
| 2023 | 33.5% | +6.9% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 33.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 47.9%, 70% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 33.5% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 41.3%, 81% of the median. (8 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Female researchers: Private non-profit … Private non-profit 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | +96.6% | 12.2% | 24.0% |
| 2000 | -65.5% | 28.7% | 9.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 28.5% | 26.7% | 30.1% | 3 |
| 2000s | 20.8% | 9.9% | 33.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.4% | 23.4% | 33.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.0% | 29.4% | 33.5% | 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 33.5% 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 33.9% in 2010.
- What is the lowest female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc) recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.9% in 2000.
- How does South Korea rank for female researchers as a percentage of total researchers (hc)?
- South Korea ranks 49th out of 65 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 33.3%. 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) - Private non-profit. 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