Average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and above, above primary education by country

Countries reporting
87
Highest
16.18
Mauritius
Lowest
2.66
Rwanda
Median
12.48
Years covered
52
1970–2021
Data points
1,155

What the numbers show

Average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and above, above primary education is currently reported for 87 countries. The highest value is 16.18 in Mauritius; the lowest is 2.66 in Rwanda.

The median across all reporting countries is 12.48, and the mean is 12.28.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 6.

Over the past decade 73 countries rose and 14 fell. The largest increase was in Kazakhstan (up 126.0%), and the largest decrease in Rwanda (down 81.5%).

Average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Mauritius 16.18 2017 up 45.7% rising
2 Poland 14.89 2016 up 18.7% rising
3 Pakistan 14.6 2020 up 3.8% rising
4 Korea 14.08 2017 up 3.9% rising
5 Mexico 14.01 2020 up 1.1% flat
6 Chile 13.89 2017 up 2.9% rising
7 Denmark 13.7 2016 up 15.4% rising
8 France 13.58 2016 up 9.1% rising
9 Belarus 13.43 2010 up 23.4% rising
10 Egypt 13.39 2019 up 1.4% flat
11 Georgia 13.37 2020 up 1.4% rising
12 Ireland 13.37 2016 up 6.5% rising
13 Puerto Rico 13.35 2005 up 0.1% rising
14 Jordan 13.31 2016 up 7.8% flat
15 Cyprus 13.31 2016 up 3.7% flat
16 Albania 13.29 2016 up 13.9% rising
17 Lithuania 13.27 2016 up 5.1% flat
18 Serbia 13.18 2018 up 3.1% flat
19 Bosnia and Herzegovina 13.15 2019 up 1.2% rising
20 South Africa 13.15 2020 down 0.7% rising
21 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 13.07 2021 up 0.7% flat
22 Greece 13.06 2016 up 4.6% flat
23 Estonia 13.05 2016 up 3.9% rising
24 Mongolia 13.05 2021 up 32.0% rising
25 Czechia 13.04 2016 up 9.4% rising
26 North Macedonia 13.03 2020 up 2.1% flat
27 Germany 13.03 2011 up 7.7% rising
28 Türkiye 13.01 2019 down 9.1% falling
29 Luxembourg 13 2016 up 2.9% rising
30 Argentina 12.95 2021 up 12.9% rising
31 Sweden 12.95 2016 up 0.5% flat
32 Montenegro 12.91 2010 down 4.0% flat
33 Netherlands 12.88 2016 up 4.4% rising
34 Latvia 12.79 2016 up 5.2% rising
35 Colombia 12.76 2021 down 0.1% falling
36 Finland 12.74 2016 up 5.0% flat
37 Ethiopia 12.74 2021 up 12.2% rising
38 Panama 12.68 2021 up 2.0% rising
39 Norway 12.65 2016 up 4.0% flat
40 United Kingdom 12.64 2016 up 3.3% flat
41 Dominican Republic 12.63 2013 up 0.9% flat
42 Ecuador 12.53 2021 up 1.0% flat
43 Spain 12.53 2016 up 1.0% flat
44 Slovenia 12.48 2016 up 2.3% rising
45 El Salvador 12.47 2019 down 3.1% flat
46 Ukraine 12.46 2018 up 21.9% rising
47 Slovak Republic 12.44 2016 up 3.0% rising
48 Lao People's Democratic Republic 12.37 2018 up 21.5% rising
49 Paraguay 12.35 2021 up 2.5% rising
50 Iceland 12.34 2015 up 5.2% rising
51 Hungary 12.32 2016 up 2.9% rising
52 Bulgaria 12.29 2016 up 4.2% rising
53 Kazakhstan 12.28 2017 up 126.0% flat
54 Belgium 12.26 2003 up 1.7% flat
55 Brazil 12.2 2021 up 0.0% rising
56 Portugal 12.19 2016 up 3.4% flat
57 Peru 12.04 2021 up 0.1% rising
58 Croatia 12 2016 up 0.4% flat
59 Nigeria 11.92 2018 down 5.0% falling
60 Costa Rica 11.79 2021 up 0.9% rising
61 Palestine, State of 11.74 2017 down 9.6% falling
62 Mali 11.73 2018 up 10.9% flat
63 Honduras 11.72 2019 up 3.9% rising
64 Austria 11.67 2003 up 3.7% flat
65 Italy 11.65 2016 up 2.0% rising
66 Belize 11.57 1999 up 0.4% flat
67 Uruguay 11.49 2021 up 0.9% flat
68 Kosovo 11.47 2017 down 32.5% falling
69 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 11.46 2006 up 5.2% rising
70 Malta 11.45 2016 up 4.6% flat
71 Uganda 11.39 2016 up 7.5% falling
72 Romania 11.35 2016 down 11.1% falling
73 Guatemala 11.29 2019 up 2.6% flat
74 Nicaragua 11.16 2014 up 16.3% rising
75 Senegal 11.05 2018 up 2.1% falling
76 Namibia 10.93 2015 down 12.2% rising
77 Tanzania, United Republic of 10.9 2012 down 2.0% flat
78 Ghana 10.88 2016 up 0.4% flat
79 Gambia 10.82 2020 down 9.0% rising
80 Sri Lanka 10.75 2016 up 2.4% flat
81 Nepal 10.66 2014 up 4.7% rising
82 Zambia 10.47 2015 up 12.6% rising
83 Jamaica 10.46 2002 up 2.1% flat
84 Republic of Moldova 9.8 2017 down 23.1% flat
85 Madagascar 9.62 2012 up 3.1% flat
86 Cambodia 9.43 2012 up 2.0% falling
87 Rwanda 2.66 2021 down 81.5% volatile

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Average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and by country. Statizoid. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/average-number-of-completed-years-in-formal-education-aged-17-and-above-above-primary/

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About this data

Indicator
Average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and above, above primary education
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
87 places, 1,155 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed