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

United States of America: UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of was 45.6% in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
45.6%
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
19th
of 80 countries
All-time high
64.5%
in 1975
All-time low
40.3%
in 1970
Years of data
19
1970–2018

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

02040601970199420181970: 40.31975: 64.51979: 60.31980: 40.91981: 59.71994: 42.32004: 47.92005: 48.52006: 47.82008: 47.92009: 48.22010: 48.32011: 47.82012: 47.12013: 46.82014: 46.92015: 46.92016: 46.22018: 45.6

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2018, uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in United States of America stood at 45.6%.

The figure is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 4.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in United States of America peaked at 64.5% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 40.3%, in 1970.

United States of America ranks 19th of 80 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.

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

Annual values for UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of education is upper secondary, male in United States of America, 1970 to 2018.
Year Value Change
1970 40.3%
1975 64.5% +60.2%
1979 60.3% -6.4%
1980 40.9% -32.2%
1981 59.7% +45.9%
1994 42.3% -29.2%
2004 47.9% +13.4%
2005 48.5% +1.1%
2006 47.8% -1.3%
2008 47.9% +0.2%
2009 48.2% +0.7%
2010 48.3% +0.2%
2011 47.8% -1.0%
2012 47.1% -1.4%
2013 46.8% -0.6%
2014 46.9% +0.1%
2015 46.9% -0.0%
2016 46.2% -1.4%
2018 45.6% -1.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 55.0% 40.3% 64.5% 3
1980s 50.3% 40.9% 59.7% 2
1990s 42.3% 42.3% 42.3% 1
2000s 48.1% 47.8% 48.5% 5
2010s 47.0% 45.6% 48.3% 8

Countries ranked near United States of America

  1. 16 Germany 49.2% compare
  2. 17 South Africa 48.5% compare
  3. 18 Republic of Moldova 48.5% compare
  4. 20 Denmark 44.4% compare
  5. 21 France 43.5% compare
  6. 22 Switzerland 43.3% compare

See the full ranking of 80 places →

More reference data data for United States of America

All data for United States of America →

Frequently asked questions

What is uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in United States of America?
Uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in United States of America was 45.6% 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 of America?
The highest recorded value was 64.5% in 1975.
What is the lowest uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of recorded in United States of America?
The lowest recorded value was 40.3% in 1970.
How does United States of America rank for uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of?
United States of America ranks 19th out of 80 countries with data for 2018.
Is uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of rising or falling in United States of America?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United States of America 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 upper secondary, male. 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 of America. 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-upper-secondary-3/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of education is upper secondary, male
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
80 places, 887 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

The percentage of male population (age 25 and over) with completed upper secondary education (ISCED 3) as the highest level of educational attainment. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of males aged 25 years and above who completed upper secondary education as the highest level of educational attainment by the total male 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/