UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of education is Bachelor's or equivalent (ISCED 6), both sexes by country
The percentage of population (age 25 and over) with a completed bachelor's or equivalent degree (ISCED 6) degree as the highest level of educational attainment. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of persons aged 25 years and above who completed a bachelor's or equivalent degree as the highest level...
What the numbers show
UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of education is Bachelor's or equivalent (ISCED 6), both sexes is currently reported for 84 countries. The highest value is 40.3% in Estonia; the lowest is 1.7% in Uganda.
The median across all reporting countries is 14.4%, and the mean is 14.5%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 24.
Over the past decade 38 countries rose and 43 fell. The largest increase was in Bahrain (up 138.2%), and the largest decrease in Sri Lanka (down 74.4%).
UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Estonia | 40.3% | 2018 | up 21.2% | rising |
| 2 | United Arab Emirates | 37.2% | 2018 | up 107.3% | volatile |
| 3 | Luxembourg | 34.3% | 2015 | up 74.1% | rising |
| 4 | Kazakhstan | 34.0% | 2018 | up 33.4% | rising |
| 5 | Singapore | 31.6% | 2018 | up 44.9% | rising |
| 6 | Bulgaria | 24.7% | 2017 | up 24.7% | rising |
| 7 | South Korea | 24.2% | 2015 | down 23.3% | rising |
| 8 | Venezuela | 24.1% | 2016 | up 88.1% | rising |
| 9 | Australia | 23.3% | 2018 | down 34.9% | flat |
| 10 | Hong Kong | 22.9% | 2017 | up 50.7% | rising |
| 11 | New Zealand | 22.5% | 2016 | down 11.1% | falling |
| 12 | United States | 21.9% | 2018 | down 42.6% | flat |
| 13 | Lithuania | 21.2% | 2017 | down 17.5% | rising |
| 14 | Bermuda | 21.1% | 2016 | up 7.9% | rising |
| 15 | Israel | 20.4% | 2015 | down 25.9% | rising |
| 16 | Bahrain | 20.2% | 2018 | up 138.2% | rising |
| 17 | Cayman Islands | 20.2% | 2015 | down 17.3% | rising |
| 18 | Argentina | 20.0% | 2018 | up 15.9% | rising |
| 19 | Belgium | 19.8% | 2017 | down 26.1% | rising |
| 20 | Netherlands | 19.1% | 2018 | down 30.2% | rising |
| 21 | Denmark | 19.0% | 2018 | down 44.2% | rising |
| 22 | Moldova | 19.0% | 2018 | up 21.7% | rising |
| 23 | Switzerland | 18.8% | 2018 | down 39.3% | rising |
| 24 | Canada | 18.7% | 2016 | down 57.5% | rising |
| 25 | Ireland | 18.6% | 2017 | down 33.0% | volatile |
| 26 | Costa Rica | 18.4% | 2018 | down 9.2% | rising |
| 27 | Bolivia | 17.9% | 2015 | down 14.4% | rising |
| 28 | Greece | 17.7% | 2016 | down 1.0% | rising |
| 29 | Qatar | 17.6% | 2017 | down 30.1% | rising |
| 30 | Palestine | 17.4% | 2018 | down 10.5% | falling |
| 31 | United Kingdom | 17.2% | 2017 | down 45.5% | rising |
| 32 | Dominican Republic | 16.9% | 2016 | down 9.3% | rising |
| 33 | Turkey | 16.7% | 2017 | up 86.8% | rising |
| 34 | Norway | 16.4% | 2017 | down 40.3% | rising |
| 35 | Cyprus | 16.4% | 2018 | down 45.3% | falling |
| 36 | Uzbekistan | 16.3% | 2018 | up 5.7% | rising |
| 37 | Azerbaijan | 15.7% | 2017 | up 5.6% | rising |
| 38 | Philippines | 15.6% | 2017 | down 35.4% | rising |
| 39 | Brazil | 15.6% | 2018 | up 55.6% | rising |
| 40 | Latvia | 15.4% | 2018 | down 35.6% | rising |
| 41 | Tunisia | 15.2% | 2016 | up 34.5% | volatile |
| 42 | Mexico | 14.5% | 2018 | up 0.2% | rising |
| 43 | Italy | 14.4% | 2015 | up 42.6% | rising |
| 44 | Germany | 13.9% | 2018 | down 39.5% | falling |
| 45 | Iran | 13.7% | 2016 | down 12.6% | falling |
| 46 | Panama | 13.6% | 2010 | up 31.1% | rising |
| 47 | Chile | 13.1% | 2017 | down 12.6% | rising |
| 48 | Thailand | 12.8% | 2018 | down 0.1% | rising |
| 49 | Serbia | 12.7% | 2017 | down 14.3% | rising |
| 50 | Finland | 12.4% | 2017 | down 59.2% | flat |
| 51 | Sweden | 12.4% | 2017 | down 56.5% | rising |
| 52 | Malta | 11.8% | 2018 | up 5.2% | rising |
| 53 | Hungary | 11.8% | 2016 | down 20.0% | rising |
| 54 | Ecuador | 10.9% | 2017 | up 15.1% | rising |
| 55 | Andorra | 10.2% | 2016 | down 42.8% | falling |
| 56 | Saint Lucia | 10.1% | 2013 | — | volatile |
| 57 | Peru | 10.0% | 2018 | down 45.0% | rising |
| 58 | Kuwait | 9.8% | 2018 | up 18.6% | flat |
| 59 | Malaysia | 9.7% | 2016 | up 90.0% | volatile |
| 60 | Honduras | 9.5% | 2018 | up 126.3% | rising |
| 61 | Uruguay | 9.4% | 2018 | down 1.3% | rising |
| 62 | Indonesia | 8.8% | 2018 | up 102.8% | volatile |
| 63 | Colombia | 8.2% | 2018 | up 8.4% | falling |
| 64 | Pakistan | 6.8% | 2017 | up 8.2% | rising |
| 65 | South Africa | 6.8% | 2017 | up 55.9% | rising |
| 66 | El Salvador | 6.7% | 2017 | up 8.2% | rising |
| 67 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 6.6% | 2018 | up 15.7% | rising |
| 68 | Guatemala | 6.5% | 2014 | up 80.2% | volatile |
| 69 | Syria | 6.2% | 2009 | up 17.9% | rising |
| 70 | Paraguay | 6.1% | 2018 | down 41.8% | rising |
| 71 | Poland | 5.7% | 2016 | down 67.5% | volatile |
| 72 | Bangladesh | 5.5% | 2019 | up 37.0% | rising |
| 73 | Puerto Rico | 5.5% | 2017 | down 74.2% | falling |
| 74 | Mauritius | 5.2% | 2011 | up 98.1% | rising |
| 75 | Belize | 5.2% | 2010 | down 52.5% | volatile |
| 76 | Portugal | 5.0% | 2018 | down 56.8% | rising |
| 77 | Trinidad and Tobago | 4.1% | 2011 | — | volatile |
| 78 | Fiji | 3.7% | 2017 | down 68.8% | volatile |
| 79 | Sri Lanka | 3.6% | 2018 | down 74.4% | volatile |
| 80 | Austria | 2.8% | 2017 | — | falling |
| 81 | Zimbabwe | 2.6% | 2017 | up 70.7% | volatile |
| 82 | Mali | 2.1% | 2018 | up 11.7% | rising |
| 83 | Slovakia | 2.1% | 2017 | up 5.5% | volatile |
| 84 | Uganda | 1.7% | 2012 | down 65.2% | volatile |
About this data
The percentage of population (age 25 and over) with a completed bachelor's or equivalent degree (ISCED 6) degree as the highest level of educational attainment. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of persons aged 25 years and above who completed a bachelor's or equivalent degree as the highest level of educational attainment by the total population of the same age group and multiplying the result by 100. The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) educational attainment dataset shows the educational composition of the population aged 25 years and above and hence the stock and quality of human capital within a country. The dataset also reflects the structure and performance of the education system and its accumulated impact on human capital formation. For more information, visit the UNESCO Institute for Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/