The Ministry of Education and the Korean Educational Development Institute on Sept. 9 announced the results of the report Education at a Glance 2025 of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Shown is the graduation ceremony on Aug. 29 at Yonsei University in Seoul's Seodaemun-gu District. (Lee Jeongwoo)

By Xu Aiying

The country's rate of higher education completion by youth has led the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for the 17th straight year.

Public education spending per student also outstrips the OECD average.

This shows how the country actively invests in education to foster youth talent and ultimately boost national competitiveness.

The Ministry of Education and the Korean Educational Development Institute on Sept. 9 said this in jointly releasing the OECD report Education at a Glance 2025.

Based on a survey of 38 OECD member states and 11 non-members on education-related indexes. the report found that as of last year, 56.2% of Korean adults ages 25-64 had finished tertiary education including university, far higher than the OECD average of 41.9%.

In the 25-34 demographic, 70.6% completed higher education, making Korea the lone OECD country to exceed 70%. Canada (68.86%) finished second and Ireland (66.19%) third.

The ministry said Korean youth since 2008 have shown the highest rate of higher education completion among their peers in OECD member states.

Public education spending per student in 2022 in Korea soared 24.9% to USD 19,805 from the prior year, easily topping the OECD average of USD 15,023. At institutions of higher learning, the figure rose 8.3% to USD 14,695.

xuaiy@korea.kr