UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in United States

United States: UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of was 0.6% in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)
0.6%
Change on year
down 18.2%
World rank
58th
of 65 countries
All-time high
4.2%
in 1975
All-time low
0.6%
in 2018
Years of data
18
1970–2018

UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in United States, 1970–2018

12341970199420181970: 3.91975: 4.21979: 3.51980: 2.61981: 3.32004: 12005: 1.12006: 12008: 0.9292009: 0.9792010: 0.9182011: 0.8552012: 0.8192013: 0.7472014: 0.8122015: 0.8442016: 0.7682018: 0.628

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

United States recorded 0.6% for uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 18 years on record.

That represents a change of down 18.2% on the previous year and down 32.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in United States peaked at 4.2% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 2018.

That places United States 58th out of 65 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in United States, year by year

Annual values for UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of education is incomplete primary, both sexes in United States, 1970 to 2018.
Year Value Change
1970 3.9%
1975 4.2% +7.7%
1979 3.5% -16.7%
1980 2.6% -26.0%
1981 3.3% +26.5%
2004 1.0% -68.0%
2005 1.1% +2.7%
2006 1.0% -5.0%
2008 0.9% -9.3%
2009 1.0% +5.3%
2010 0.9% -6.2%
2011 0.9% -6.9%
2012 0.8% -4.2%
2013 0.7% -8.7%
2014 0.8% +8.7%
2015 0.8% +4.0%
2016 0.8% -9.1%
2018 0.6% -18.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 3.9% 3.5% 4.2% 3
1980s 2.9% 2.6% 3.3% 2
2000s 1.0% 0.9% 1.1% 5
2010s 0.8% 0.6% 0.9% 8

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 55 Netherlands 0.7% compare
  2. 56 Serbia 0.7% compare
  3. 57 Poland 0.7% compare
  4. 59 Hungary 0.4% compare
  5. 60 Latvia 0.3% compare
  6. 61 Slovenia 0.2% compare

See the full ranking of 65 places →

More reference data data for United States

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in United States?
Uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in United States was 0.6% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of recorded in United States?
The highest recorded value was 4.2% in 1975.
What is the lowest uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 2018.
How does United States rank for uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of?
United States ranks 58th out of 65 countries with data for 2018.
Is uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is down 32.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United States data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of education is incomplete primary, both sexes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in United States. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/uis-percentage-of-population-age-25-whose-highest-level-of-education-is-incomplete/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of education is incomplete primary, both sexes
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
65 places, 684 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

The percentage of population (age 25 and over) with incomplete primary as the highest level of educational attainment. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of persons aged 25 years and above with incomplete primary education 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/