According to Yonhap news agency, data released by Statistics Korea on March 14 showed that privateeducation spending for students in the country in 2023 was at a record high, despite a decrease in the number of students.
Last year, total spending on private after-school classes for elementary, middle and high school students was a record 27.1 trillion won ($20.6 billion), up 4.5 percent from the previous year, according to the agency. Including students enrolled in private education programs, monthly spending reached 553,000 won ($419.59), up 5.5 percent from 2022.
Spending on private education increased sharply despite the total number of students in South Korea falling 1.3% from a year earlier to 5.21 million in 2023. In addition, the proportion of students enrolled in private education programs, such as cram schools, also rose 0.2% to 78.5%. For elementary school students, the ratio was 86%; for middle and high school students, the ratios were 75.4% and 66.4%, respectively. These students spent an average of 7.3 hours on private education programs per week.
In South Korea, studying at a prestigious university is the key to success in a highly competitive society. However, the burden of private education costs is blamed for the country's extremely low birth rate. The South Korean government has taken a number of measures to curb the rise in costs, including pledging to increase oversight of private education institutions.
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