UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower secondary education (ISCED 2 or higher). Total by country

The percentage of population (age 25 and over) with at least completed lower secondary education (ISCED 2 or higher). This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of persons aged 25 years and above with completed lower secondary education by the total population of the same age group and multiplying the...

Countries reporting
86
Highest
100.0%
Luxembourg
Lowest
10.0%
Mali
Median
78.9%
Years covered
50
1970–2019
Data points
935

What the numbers show

UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower secondary education (ISCED 2 or higher). Total is currently reported for 86 countries. The highest value is 100.0% in Luxembourg; the lowest is 10.0% in Mali.

The median across all reporting countries is 78.9%, and the mean is 73.1%.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 10.

Over the past decade 76 countries rose and 8 fell. The largest increase was in Belize (up 238.1%), and the largest decrease in Cambodia (down 18.9%).

UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Luxembourg 100.0% 2015 up 52.8% rising
1 Latvia 100.0% 2018 up 2.1% rising
3 Czechia 99.9% 2017 up 0.2% rising
4 Uzbekistan 99.9% 2018 up 0.0% flat
5 United Kingdom 99.7% 2017 down 0.0% flat
6 Kazakhstan 99.5% 2018 up 0.1% rising
7 Slovakia 99.3% 2017 down 0.0% rising
8 Norway 99.2% 2017 down 0.6% flat
9 Slovenia 97.8% 2017 up 3.0% rising
10 Georgia 97.5% 2017 up 7.0% rising
11 Moldova 97.3% 2018 up 5.2% rising
12 Hungary 97.2% 2016 up 7.0% rising
13 Switzerland 97.1% 2018 up 1.2% rising
14 Germany 96.3% 2018 down 0.4% flat
15 United States 96.0% 2018 up 1.6% rising
16 Lithuania 95.6% 2017 up 8.0% rising
17 Azerbaijan 95.5% 2017 up 3.1% flat
18 Bulgaria 95.4% 2017 up 3.7% rising
19 Cayman Islands 95.3% 2015 up 13.5% rising
20 Denmark 93.8% 2018 down 6.2% rising
21 Australia 93.4% 2018 up 1.2% rising
22 Sweden 91.1% 2017 up 0.7% rising
23 Romania 90.5% 2017 up 5.7% rising
24 Netherlands 90.4% 2018 up 1.0% rising
25 Serbia 89.8% 2017 up 6.0% rising
26 Israel 89.2% 2015 up 18.4% rising
27 Puerto Rico 88.5% 2017 up 10.6% rising
28 Fiji 87.3% 2017 up 44.8% volatile
29 Belgium 86.5% 2017 up 12.7% rising
30 Ireland 86.2% 2017 up 11.9% rising
31 South Korea 85.7% 2015 up 6.5% rising
32 Poland 85.3% 2016 up 8.2% rising
33 France 84.2% 2017 up 9.5% rising
34 Belize 83.9% 2010 up 238.1% volatile
35 Canada 83.6% 1991 up 12.6% rising
36 United Arab Emirates 82.9% 2018 up 32.2% rising
37 Sri Lanka 82.9% 2018 up 12.1% rising
38 Malta 82.2% 2018 up 31.4% rising
39 Cyprus 81.8% 2018 up 10.5% rising
40 Singapore 81.4% 2018 up 8.6% rising
41 Bahrain 79.9% 2018 up 45.6% rising
42 Chile 79.6% 2017 up 5.0% rising
43 Hong Kong 79.4% 2017 up 11.5% rising
44 Italy 78.5% 2015 up 14.1% rising
45 Spain 77.7% 2018 up 18.4% rising
46 Venezuela 74.4% 2016 up 62.1% rising
47 Malaysia 74.2% 2016 up 59.6% rising
48 Macao 73.3% 2016 up 21.1% rising
49 South Africa 72.3% 2017 up 7.5% rising
50 Andorra 72.3% 2016 up 44.8% rising
51 Iran 69.8% 2016 up 2.8% rising
52 Qatar 68.0% 2017 up 6.4% rising
53 Trinidad and Tobago 67.5% 2011 rising
54 Dominican Republic 67.2% 2016 up 57.9% rising
55 Zimbabwe 64.9% 2017 up 41.1% rising
56 Greece 64.8% 2016 up 21.2% rising
57 Palestine 64.2% 2018 up 28.3% rising
58 Peru 64.1% 2018 up 21.2% rising
59 Mexico 63.2% 2018 up 19.8% rising
60 Panama 61.5% 2010 up 29.5% rising
61 Turkey 60.9% 2017 up 88.4% rising
62 Brazil 60.0% 2018 up 21.1% rising
63 Philippines 59.4% 2017 down 8.4% rising
64 Bolivia 58.8% 2015 up 39.6% rising
65 Argentina 57.2% 2018 up 15.3% rising
66 Uruguay 56.8% 2018 up 11.1% rising
67 Kuwait 55.9% 2018 up 14.4% rising
68 Costa Rica 54.6% 2018 up 9.6% rising
69 Colombia 54.4% 2018 up 26.0% rising
70 Portugal 54.3% 2018 up 44.6% rising
71 Mauritius 54.2% 2011 up 38.7% rising
72 Ecuador 52.9% 2017 up 22.7% rising
73 Indonesia 50.9% 2018 up 23.0% rising
74 Paraguay 50.1% 2018 up 29.2% rising
75 Thailand 46.2% 2018 up 42.9% rising
76 Saint Lucia 45.9% 2013 volatile
77 Bangladesh 44.7% 2019 up 26.6% rising
78 Tunisia 44.6% 2016 up 20.3% rising
79 El Salvador 42.8% 2017 up 23.9% rising
80 Guatemala 36.8% 2014 up 114.6% volatile
81 Pakistan 36.4% 2017 up 12.2% rising
82 Syria 34.1% 2009 up 37.5% rising
83 Honduras 31.2% 2018 up 56.4% rising
84 Uganda 24.0% 2012 up 108.6% rising
85 Cambodia 12.3% 2015 down 18.9% falling
86 Mali 10.0% 2018 down 2.8% rising

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UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower by country. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/uis-percentage-of-population-age-25-with-at-least-completed-lower-secondary-education/

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About this data

Indicator
UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower secondary education (ISCED 2 or higher). Total
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
86 places, 935 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

The percentage of population (age 25 and over) with at least completed lower secondary education (ISCED 2 or higher). This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of persons aged 25 years and above with completed lower secondary 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/