Middle schoolers in South Korea report higher depression rates than high schoolers for third year

According to the Korean Educational Development Institute, 26.2% of middle school students reported feeling depressed in 2025, a slight increase from previous years and higher than the 25.1%. This is the third year in a row that middle schoolers have shown a greater prevalence of depressive symptoms. The institute defines these feelings as sadness or despair that interferes with daily activities for two consecutive weeks over the past year.

Earlier surveys recorded 27.9% of middle schoolers and 27.5% of high schoolers in 2024, and 26.3% versus 25.6% in 2023. Education ministry data show that, between January and June, 112 students across elementary, middle, and high schools died by suicide, with middle schoolers representing 43 of those deaths (38.4%). The ministry also reported 244 student suicides last year, 92 of which involved middle school students.