Proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education in United States of America

United States of America: Proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education was 69.6% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
69.6%
Change on year
down 2.2%
World rank
13th
of 46 countries
All-time high
73.6%
in 2012
All-time low
61.3%
in 2003
Years of data
6
2000–2018

Proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education in United States of America, 2000–2018

0204060802000200920182000: 65.9 %2003: 61.3 %2009: 68.3 %2012: 73.6 %2015: 71.2 %2018: 69.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

United States of America recorded 69.6% for proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education in 2018.

That represents a change of down 2.2% on the previous year and up 1.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education in United States of America peaked at 73.6% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 61.3%, in 2003.

That places United States of America 13th out of 46 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

Proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education in United States of America, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in reading, very poor socioeconomic background, both sexes (%) in United States of America, 2000 to 2018.
Year % Change
2000 65.9%
2003 61.3% -6.9%
2009 68.3% +11.5%
2012 73.6% +7.7%
2015 71.2% -3.3%
2018 69.6% -2.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 65.2% 61.3% 68.3% 3
2010s 71.5% 69.6% 73.6% 3

Countries ranked near United States of America

  1. 10 Croatia 71.1% compare
  2. 11 Norway 70.2% compare
  3. 12 Sweden 69.9% compare
  4. 14 New Zealand 69.3% compare
  5. 15 Australia 68.8% compare
  6. 16 Latvia 68.2% compare

See the full ranking of 46 places →

More reference data data for United States of America

All data for United States of America →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education in United States of America?
Proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education in United States of America was 69.6% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education recorded in United States of America?
The highest recorded value was 73.6% in 2012.
What is the lowest proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education recorded in United States of America?
The lowest recorded value was 61.3% in 2003.
How does United States of America rank for proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education?
United States of America ranks 13th out of 46 countries with data for 2018.
Is proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education rising or falling in United States of America?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States of America data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in reading, very poor socioeconomic background, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education in United States of America. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-students-at-the-end-of-lower-secondary-education-achieving-at-least-a-18/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in reading, very poor socioeconomic background, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
46 places, 295 data points, 2000–2018
Last refreshed

Percentage of children at the end of lower secondary education reaching at least a minimum proficiency level in reading. A minimum proficiency level (MPL) is the benchmark of basic knowledge in a domain (mathematics, reading, etc.) measured through learning assessments. The indicator is calculated as the number of children and/or young people at the relevant stage of education n in a given year t achieving or exceeding the pre-defined proficiency level in a given subject s, expressed as a percentage of the total number of children and/or young people at stage of education n, in year t, in any proficiency level in subject s. The higher the value of the indicator, the higher the proportion of children or young adults who have acquired the minimum level of meaningful competencies. Data are calculated by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from sources that include the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Programme for International Student Assessment for Development (PISA-D), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), El Laboratorio Latino americano de Evaluación de la Calidad de la Educación (LLECE), Programme d’analyse des systèmes éducatifs de la confemen (PASEC), Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Education Quality (SACMEQ), Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA), national assessments data collected through the Catalogue of Learning Assessments (CLA) and/or available in national reports, and population-based assessments (Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA), UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), People’s Action for Learning (PAL) NETWORK: e.g. Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), UWEZO, etc.)). For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute for Statistics: http://uis.unesco.org/