How many children are expected to start elementary school in South Korea in the 2027 academic year?

The number is expected to fall below 300,000. The incoming first graders were born in 2020, when 272,337 babies were born, a 10 percent decline from the previous year.

Why is South Korea’s elementary school enrollment expected to fall below 300,000 in 2027?

The decline reflects the smaller number of children born in 2020. The article reports that 272,337 babies were born that year, down 10 percent from a year earlier.

New elementary school enrollment to drop below 300,000 for 1st time amid low birth rate

Q: What concerns has South Korea’s shrinking school-age population raised for schools and education?

The decline has raised concerns about school closures, particularly in rural areas, and a widening education gap between regions. The number of new first graders is projected to keep shrinking until 2030, though it is expected to remain above 200,000.

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Summary

South Korea is expected to see fewer than 300,000 children enter elementary school in the 2027 academic year, as the low birth rate shrinks the school-age population. The projected decline follows this year’s enrollment of 301,442, the lowest level since records began in 1964. The falling number of students has raised concerns about school closures, especially in rural areas, and widening regional education gaps. Enrollment is projected to keep declining until 2030, while remaining above 200,000.

Key Facts

The 2027 first graders were born in 2020, when 272,337 babies were born, 10 percent fewer than a year earlier.
KOSIS and KEDI compiled the data on projected enrollment, while the Ministry of Data and Statistics reported the 2020 birth figure.
Elementary school freshman enrollment reached 1.05 million in 1968, compared with the roughly one-fourth of that level projected for 2027.
Births rose to 238,317 in 2024 and 254,341 in 2025 after years of decline.

By Yonhap

Published Nov 8, 2026 10:27 am KST

A first grader heads to a classroom after an entrance ceremony at an elementary school in the southeastern city of Daegu, March 4, 2024. Yonhap

The number of children entering elementary schools in Korea is expected to fall below 300,000 for the first time next year amid the country's low birth rate, data showed Sunday.

The number of first graders, born in 2020, entering elementary school for the 2027 academic year, is expected to fall short of 300,000, just three years after dropping below the 400,000 mark, according to data compiled by the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) and the Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI).

The decline comes as only 272,337 babies were born in 2020, down 10 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

A total of 301,442 students enrolled as elementary school freshmen this year, barely surpassing the 300,000 mark and marking the lowest level since 1964, when the ministry began compiling related data.

The figure is expected to fall further next year to roughly one-fourth of the 1.05 million recorded in 1968.

The shrinking school-age population has raised concerns over school closures, particularly in rural areas, and a widening education gap between regions.

The number of new first graders at elementary schools is projected to continue shrinking until 2030, though the figure is expected to remain above 200,000 as childbirths rebounded in 2024.

The number of births rose to 238,317 in 2024 and 254,341 in 2025, following years of decline.

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