South Korean families' spending on private education for their children has surged by more than 60% over the past decade, according to government data. Households spent nearly 29.2 trillion won ($20.2 billion) in 2024, a 60.1% increase from 2014. Rising dual-income households and uncertainty in college admissions are key drivers.
South Korean families' spending on private education for their children has jumped by more than 60% over the past decade, government data showed on Sunday. According to the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) under the Ministry of Data and Statistics, households spent just under 29.2 trillion won ($20.2 billion) on private education in 2024, up 60.1% from 2014. This marks the fourth consecutive year of increases.
The ministry attributed the surge to rising costs at hagwons—private academic institutions—and greater household disposable income for extracurricular lessons. A steady rise in dual-income households has also contributed, as parents often enroll children in after-school hagwons rather than leaving them home alone during work hours.
Spending on elementary school students saw the sharpest rise, from 7.6 trillion won in 2014 to 13.2 trillion won in 2024, a 74.1% increase. Middle school expenditures grew 40.7% to 7.8 trillion won, while high school spending rose 60.5% to 8.1 trillion won.
KOSIS data indicates that families with at least two unmarried children spent an average of 611,000 won monthly on private education in the third quarter of 2025, accounting for 12.6% of total expenditures—second only to food. Tracking since 2019 shows the share rose from 11.5% that year to 12.8% in 2024, 13% in the first quarter of 2025, and a record 13.5% in the second quarter.
Experts point to frequent changes in college admission policies and the resulting uncertainty as forcing parents to rely more heavily on private education, raising concerns about widening educational inequality.
