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

United Kingdom: UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of was 25.8% in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
25.8%
Change on year
down 12.9%
World rank
52nd
of 81 countries
All-time high
92.1%
in 1971
All-time low
25.8%
in 2017
Years of data
8
1971–2017

UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in United Kingdom, 1971–2017

204060801001971199420171971: 92.12009: 53.12010: 52.62011: 532012: 42.32013: 302014: 29.72017: 25.8

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

United Kingdom recorded 25.8% for uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in 2017. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

That represents a change of down 12.9% on the previous year and down 51.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in United Kingdom peaked at 92.1% in 1971 and was at its lowest, 25.8%, in 2017.

United Kingdom ranks 52nd of 81 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Annual values for UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of education is upper secondary, both sexes in United Kingdom, 1971 to 2017.
Year Value Change
1971 92.1%
2009 53.1% -42.3%
2010 52.6% -0.9%
2011 53.0% +0.8%
2012 42.3% -20.2%
2013 30.0% -29.1%
2014 29.7% -1.2%
2017 25.8% -12.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 92.1% 92.1% 92.1% 1
2000s 53.1% 53.1% 53.1% 1
2010s 38.9% 25.8% 53.0% 6

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 49 Venezuela 26.5% compare
  2. 50 Ireland 26.1% compare
  3. 51 Dominican Republic 26.1% compare
  4. 53 Philippines 25.6% compare
  5. 54 Iran 25.3% compare
  6. 55 Indonesia 24.6% compare

See the full ranking of 81 places →

More reference data data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in United Kingdom?
Uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in United Kingdom was 25.8% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 92.1% in 1971.
What is the lowest uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 25.8% in 2017.
How does United Kingdom rank for uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of?
United Kingdom ranks 52nd out of 81 countries with data for 2017.
Is uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is down 51.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United Kingdom 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, both sexes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/uis-percentage-of-population-age-25-whose-highest-level-of-education-is-upper-secondary/united-kingdom/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/uis-percentage-of-population-age-25-whose-highest-level-of-education-is-upper-secondary/united-kingdom/">UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in United Kingdom</a> — Statizoid

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/