UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of education is upper secondary, both sexes by country

The percentage of 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 persons aged 25 years and above who completed upper secondary education as the highest level of educational...

Countries reporting
81
Highest
70.2%
Czechia
Lowest
0.9%
Mali
Median
32.6%
Years covered
50
1970–2019
Data points
897

What the numbers show

UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of education is upper secondary, both sexes is currently reported for 81 countries. The highest value is 70.2% in Czechia; the lowest is 0.9% in Mali.

The median across all reporting countries is 32.6%, and the mean is 32.1%.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 75.

Over the past decade 51 countries rose and 29 fell. The largest increase was in Malta (up 170.4%), and the largest decrease in Mali (down 73.8%).

UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Czechia 70.2% 2017 down 2.0% flat
2 Slovakia 64.3% 2017 up 2.9% rising
3 Azerbaijan 58.4% 2017 up 17.7% rising
4 Samoa 57.2% 2011 up 15.0% volatile
5 Poland 56.7% 2016 down 2.6% flat
6 Sri Lanka 56.6% 2018 volatile
7 Slovenia 54.4% 2017 up 0.9% flat
8 Bulgaria 51.7% 2017 up 9.6% rising
9 Bosnia and Herzegovina 51.6% 2018 up 136.0% rising
10 Romania 49.7% 2017 up 0.2% rising
11 Serbia 49.1% 2017 up 2.8% flat
12 Austria 49.0% 2017 down 1.4% rising
13 Germany 47.8% 2018 down 6.7% falling
14 South Africa 47.6% 2017 up 16.8% rising
15 Hungary 47.6% 2016 up 0.5% rising
16 Estonia 47.3% 2018 down 9.1% rising
17 Latvia 46.7% 2018 down 10.8% flat
18 Switzerland 46.2% 2018 down 5.6% rising
19 United States of America 44.6% 2018 down 7.7% falling
20 Republic of Moldova 41.7% 2018 down 3.6% falling
21 Denmark 40.9% 2018 down 8.4% flat
22 France 39.8% 2017 up 8.0% rising
23 Finland 39.3% 2017 up 4.9% rising
24 Malaysia 37.4% 2016 up 66.5% rising
25 Netherlands 37.2% 2018 up 6.8% rising
26 Argentina 37.2% 2018 up 14.9% rising
27 Chile 37.1% 2017 up 5.0% rising
28 Norway 36.9% 2017 down 8.0% rising
29 Sweden 36.9% 2017 down 18.9% rising
30 Republic of Korea 36.1% 2015 down 4.0% rising
31 Peru 36.1% 2018 up 26.1% rising
32 Luxembourg 34.8% 2015 up 12.8% rising
33 Cayman Islands 34.7% 2015 down 21.2% falling
34 Israel 34.3% 2015 up 49.3% rising
35 Italy 34.2% 2015 up 15.5% rising
36 Hong Kong, China 34.2% 2017 up 6.1% rising
37 Cyprus 33.8% 2018 up 1.8% rising
38 Georgia 33.3% 2017 down 5.8% rising
39 Belgium 32.8% 2017 up 11.0% rising
40 Lithuania 32.7% 2017 up 15.4% rising
41 Bahrain 32.6% 2018 up 56.2% falling
42 Uzbekistan 32.3% 2018 down 18.6% falling
43 Brazil 30.9% 2018 up 21.4% rising
44 Puerto Rico 30.0% 2017 down 18.2% rising
45 Ecuador 29.6% 2017 up 35.7% rising
46 Australia 29.2% 2018 down 4.9% falling
47 Colombia 28.5% 2018 up 26.2% rising
48 Greece 27.9% 2016 down 3.3% rising
49 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 26.5% 2016 up 21.9% rising
50 Ireland 26.1% 2017 up 20.8% falling
51 Dominican Republic 26.1% 2016 up 114.3% rising
52 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 25.8% 2017 down 51.3% falling
53 Philippines 25.6% 2013 up 7.4% rising
54 Iran, Islamic Republic of 25.3% 2016 down 1.9% flat
55 Indonesia 24.6% 2018 up 25.9% rising
56 Paraguay 24.1% 2018 up 32.8% rising
57 Canada 24.1% 2016 up 2.7% falling
58 New Zealand 23.2% 2016 down 8.8% rising
59 El Salvador 21.7% 2017 up 40.8% rising
60 Panama 20.1% 2010 down 10.1% rising
61 Türkiye 19.8% 2017 up 33.9% rising
62 Spain 19.3% 2018 up 5.3% rising
63 Mexico 19.2% 2018 up 20.8% rising
64 Pakistan 18.6% 2017 up 9.1% rising
65 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 18.6% 2015 up 47.6% rising
66 Portugal 17.9% 2018 up 67.3% rising
67 Singapore 17.8% 2018 down 22.0% rising
68 Costa Rica 17.4% 2018 up 13.9% rising
69 Uruguay 17.1% 2018 up 40.1% falling
70 Qatar 17.1% 2017 down 12.4% rising
71 Palestine, State of 16.7% 2018 up 25.6% rising
72 Guatemala 16.3% 2014 up 79.4% rising
73 Andorra 15.1% 2016 down 21.5% falling
74 Bangladesh 15.1% 2019 up 8.5% rising
75 Malta 15.1% 2018 up 170.4% rising
76 Thailand 13.9% 2018 up 43.9% rising
77 Honduras 13.2% 2018 up 52.2% rising
78 Kuwait 11.7% 2018 down 12.5% falling
79 Cambodia 3.5% 2015 down 24.2% rising
80 Uganda 1.7% 2012 up 3.1% rising
81 Mali 0.9% 2018 down 73.8% volatile

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UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of by country. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/uis-percentage-of-population-age-25-whose-highest-level-of-education-is-upper-secondary/

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About this data

Indicator
UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of education is upper secondary, both sexes
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
81 places, 897 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

The percentage of 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 persons aged 25 years and above who completed upper 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/