Last year, the total aggregates of private education expenses in South Korea surpassed 29 trillion won for the first time. Although the number of newborns has decreased, resulting in a decline in the school-age population, the total aggregates of private education expenses have increased for four consecutive years. It was reported that 9 out of 10 students in the 2nd and 3rd grades of elementary school receive private education. The average monthly private education expenditure for first-year high school students was about 800,000 won, the highest among all grades.
According to the '2024 survey results on private education expenses for elementary, middle, and high schools' announced by the Statistics Korea on the 13th, the total aggregates of private education expenses last year were approximately 29.2 trillion won, an increase of 2.1 trillion won (7.7%) compared to the previous year (27.1 trillion won). This marked the highest level recorded since the survey began in 2007 and set a new record for four consecutive years.
By school level, private education expenses for middle schools led the increase, rising by 9.5% to 7.8338 trillion won compared to a year earlier. Private education expenses for elementary schools increased by 6.5% to 13.2256 trillion won, while high schools accounted for 8.1324 trillion won, an increase of 7.9%.
The average monthly private education expenditure per student was 442,000 won for elementary schools, 490,000 won for middle schools, and 520,000 won for high schools, reflecting increases of 11.1%, 9.0%, and 5.8%, respectively, compared to the previous year. For students participating in private education, the figures were 504,000 won for elementary, 628,000 won for middle, and 772,000 won for high schools, representing increases of 9.0%, 5.3%, and 4.4%, respectively.
When looking at the average monthly private education expenditure per student by grade, fifth graders in elementary school had the highest expenditure at 477,000 won, while second graders in middle school spent 495,000 won, and first-year high school students spent 561,000 won.
The average monthly private education expenditure per participating student was highest for first-year high school students at 799,000 won, followed by third-year middle school students at 650,000 won and fifth-year elementary students at 543,000 won.
Last year, the participation rate in private education was 80.0%, an increase of 1.5 percentage points (p) compared to the previous year. When converted to weekly participation hours, this equaled 7.6 hours, an increase of 0.3 hours from a year earlier.
The participation rates in private education by school level were 87.7% for elementary schools, 78.0% for middle schools, and 67.3% for high schools, each increasing by 1.7 percentage points, 2.7 percentage points, and 0.9 percentage points, respectively.
The participation rate in private education by grade was highest for second graders in elementary school at 90.4%. Third graders recorded a rate of 90.2%. This indicates that 9 out of 10 students in the 2nd and 3rd grades of elementary school participate in private tutoring centers. Additionally, in middle school, first-year students participated at a rate of 80.0%, and in high school, first-year students at 70.2%, indicating the highest expenditure on private education by grade level.
The total number of students in elementary, middle, and high schools last year was 5.13 million, a decrease of about 80,000 (1.5%) compared to the previous year. Notably, the number of elementary students dropped the most, from 2.6 million in 2023 to 2.5 million last year. The number of middle school students remained stable at 1.33 million, while high school students increased by 20,000 to 1.3 million.
Kim Hyun-ki, the head of the welfare statistics division at Statistics Korea, noted, "Despite the decrease in the number of students, the increase in the participation rate and participation hours has contributed to the rise in total aggregates of private education expenses."