Switzerland vs United States: Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling
Switzerland
13.95 years
in 2023
United States
13.91 years
in 2023
Switzerland rank
2nd
United States rank
3rd
Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling over time
- Switzerland
- United States
How they compare
Switzerland currently reports 13.95 years against 13.91 years in United States, a difference of 0.04 years.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was United States ahead.
Switzerland ranks 2nd and United States ranks 3rd of 192 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Switzerland averaged higher in 2 and United States in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Switzerland | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.53 years | 13.07 years | 2.54 years | United States |
| 2000s | 11.57 years | 12.91 years | 1.34 years | United States |
| 2010s | 13.6 years | 13.28 years | 0.3197 years | Switzerland |
| 2020s | 13.94 years | 13.77 years | 0.1691 years | Switzerland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling, Switzerland or United States?
- Switzerland, at 13.95 years against 13.91 years in United States as of 2023.
- What is the difference in average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling between Switzerland and United States?
- 0.04 years, with Switzerland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Switzerland and United States?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Switzerland and United States rank globally for average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling?
- Switzerland ranks 2nd and United States ranks 3rd of 192 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Average number of years (excluding years spent repeating individual grades) adults over 25 years participated in formal education.