UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of education is lower secondary, both sexes by country
The percentage of population (age 25 and over) with completed lower secondary education (ISCED 2) as the highest level of educational attainment. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of persons aged 25 years and above who completed lower secondary education as the highest level of educational...
What the numbers show
UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of education is lower secondary, both sexes is currently reported for 90 countries. The highest value is 52.7% in Zimbabwe; the lowest is 0.5% in Poland.
The median across all reporting countries is 14.5%, and the mean is 16.1%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 113.
Over the past decade 37 countries rose and 51 fell. The largest increase was in Poland (up 912.4%), and the largest decrease in Israel (down 81.7%).
UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zimbabwe | 52.7% | 2017 | up 47.9% | rising |
| 2 | Belize | 42.7% | 2010 | down 0.5% | volatile |
| 3 | Philippines | 39.3% | 2017 | up 215.0% | volatile |
| 4 | Fiji | 38.5% | 2017 | up 91.6% | rising |
| 5 | Malta | 37.0% | 2018 | down 6.4% | rising |
| 6 | Luxembourg | 30.9% | 2015 | up 107.4% | falling |
| 7 | Tunisia | 29.4% | 2016 | up 14.4% | rising |
| 8 | Italy | 29.3% | 2015 | up 3.7% | rising |
| 9 | New Zealand | 29.0% | 2016 | up 27.4% | rising |
| 10 | Mexico | 27.6% | 2018 | up 22.7% | rising |
| 11 | Spain | 27.3% | 2018 | up 19.8% | rising |
| 12 | Qatar | 26.7% | 2017 | up 82.8% | rising |
| 13 | Uruguay | 26.4% | 2018 | up 9.1% | rising |
| 14 | Finland | 24.5% | 2017 | down 23.6% | falling |
| 15 | Romania | 23.1% | 2017 | up 7.9% | falling |
| 16 | Kuwait | 22.8% | 2018 | up 2.0% | rising |
| 17 | Moldova | 22.1% | 2018 | up 20.7% | falling |
| 18 | Turkey | 21.7% | 2017 | up 151.1% | rising |
| 19 | Palestine | 21.6% | 2018 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 20 | Iran | 21.4% | 2016 | down 10.1% | falling |
| 21 | Macao | 21.4% | 2016 | down 14.1% | rising |
| 22 | Hungary | 21.1% | 2016 | down 22.6% | falling |
| 23 | Austria | 20.3% | 2017 | down 23.0% | volatile |
| 24 | Chile | 20.3% | 2017 | down 19.2% | falling |
| 25 | Norway | 20.1% | 2017 | down 19.8% | volatile |
| 26 | Sri Lanka | 19.2% | 2018 | down 57.1% | falling |
| 27 | Netherlands | 19.0% | 2018 | down 17.9% | falling |
| 28 | Bulgaria | 18.9% | 2017 | down 24.1% | falling |
| 29 | Dominican Republic | 18.6% | 2016 | up 58.6% | rising |
| 30 | Panama | 18.4% | 2010 | up 33.7% | rising |
| 31 | Serbia | 18.2% | 2017 | down 17.9% | falling |
| 32 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 17.9% | 2018 | down 30.8% | falling |
| 33 | United Kingdom | 17.7% | 2017 | up 17.4% | rising |
| 34 | Belgium | 17.4% | 2017 | down 8.9% | falling |
| 35 | Portugal | 17.2% | 2018 | up 16.8% | rising |
| 36 | Indonesia | 16.3% | 2018 | up 7.3% | rising |
| 37 | Bolivia | 16.2% | 2015 | up 87.3% | falling |
| 38 | Hong Kong | 16.1% | 2017 | down 5.8% | rising |
| 39 | Malaysia | 15.9% | 2016 | down 16.0% | falling |
| 40 | Canada | 15.5% | 2016 | down 24.6% | falling |
| 41 | Slovenia | 15.2% | 2017 | down 30.0% | falling |
| 42 | Bahrain | 15.0% | 2018 | up 17.4% | rising |
| 43 | Costa Rica | 14.9% | 2018 | up 6.3% | rising |
| 44 | Australia | 14.7% | 2018 | down 33.8% | falling |
| 45 | Sweden | 14.6% | 2017 | up 48.2% | rising |
| 46 | Ireland | 14.4% | 2017 | down 9.7% | falling |
| 47 | Argentina | 14.2% | 2003 | down 44.0% | falling |
| 48 | France | 14.1% | 2017 | down 19.4% | falling |
| 49 | Denmark | 14.1% | 2018 | down 33.5% | falling |
| 50 | Uganda | 13.9% | 2012 | up 175.2% | rising |
| 51 | United Arab Emirates | 13.7% | 2018 | down 11.8% | falling |
| 52 | Bangladesh | 13.3% | 2019 | up 20.1% | rising |
| 53 | El Salvador | 13.2% | 2017 | up 1.5% | rising |
| 54 | Thailand | 12.8% | 2018 | up 31.8% | rising |
| 55 | Germany | 12.8% | 2018 | down 22.3% | falling |
| 56 | Brazil | 12.6% | 2018 | down 10.7% | rising |
| 57 | Venezuela | 12.5% | 2016 | up 17.1% | falling |
| 58 | Estonia | 12.4% | 2018 | down 15.7% | falling |
| 59 | Slovakia | 12.2% | 2017 | down 16.4% | volatile |
| 60 | Syria | 12.2% | 2009 | down 15.2% | rising |
| 61 | Switzerland | 11.3% | 2018 | down 14.5% | rising |
| 62 | South Africa | 11.0% | 2017 | down 27.8% | falling |
| 63 | Paraguay | 10.7% | 2018 | up 5.5% | rising |
| 64 | Mauritius | 10.5% | 2011 | down 43.4% | falling |
| 65 | Guatemala | 10.2% | 2014 | up 163.8% | rising |
| 66 | Greece | 10.2% | 2016 | up 12.4% | rising |
| 67 | Latvia | 9.7% | 2018 | down 38.5% | volatile |
| 68 | Ecuador | 9.3% | 2017 | down 5.1% | rising |
| 69 | South Korea | 9.3% | 2015 | down 17.4% | falling |
| 70 | Pakistan | 9.2% | 2017 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 71 | Czechia | 8.8% | 2017 | down 37.2% | volatile |
| 72 | Cyprus | 8.8% | 2018 | down 7.4% | volatile |
| 73 | Puerto Rico | 8.4% | 2017 | down 62.8% | rising |
| 74 | Lithuania | 8.3% | 2017 | down 31.0% | volatile |
| 75 | Honduras | 8.1% | 2018 | up 112.1% | rising |
| 76 | Singapore | 7.9% | 2018 | down 32.9% | volatile |
| 77 | Israel | 7.7% | 2015 | down 81.7% | volatile |
| 78 | Azerbaijan | 7.0% | 2017 | down 27.9% | falling |
| 79 | United States | 6.2% | 2018 | down 20.9% | falling |
| 80 | Peru | 6.1% | 2018 | up 0.9% | volatile |
| 81 | Saint Lucia | 5.4% | 2013 | — | volatile |
| 82 | Georgia | 5.0% | 2017 | down 32.4% | falling |
| 83 | Cayman Islands | 5.0% | 2015 | down 71.5% | volatile |
| 84 | Colombia | 4.7% | 2018 | down 8.7% | falling |
| 85 | Uzbekistan | 3.8% | 2018 | down 55.0% | falling |
| 86 | Cambodia | 3.0% | 2015 | down 65.2% | volatile |
| 87 | Mali | 2.9% | 2018 | down 39.6% | rising |
| 88 | Trinidad and Tobago | 2.9% | 2009 | — | volatile |
| 89 | Kazakhstan | 2.1% | 2018 | down 32.1% | volatile |
| 90 | Poland | 0.5% | 2016 | up 912.4% | volatile |
About this data
The percentage of population (age 25 and over) with completed lower secondary education (ISCED 2) as the highest level of educational attainment. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of persons aged 25 years and above who completed lower secondary education 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/