What is the difference in share of the population with post-secondary education or higher between Iran, Islamic Republic of and Saudi Arabia?

0.3%, with Iran, Islamic Republic of ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Iran, Islamic Republic of and Saudi Arabia?

6 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2023.

Iran, Islamic Republic of vs Saudi Arabia: Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher

Iran, Islamic Republic of

45.7%

in 2023

Saudi Arabia

45.4%

in 2024

Iran, Islamic Republic of rank

22nd

Saudi Arabia rank

23rd

Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher over time

Iran, Islamic Republic of
Saudi Arabia

How they compare

Iran, Islamic Republic of currently reports 45.7% against 45.4% in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 0.3%.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 6 shared years of data; in 2013 it was Saudi Arabia ahead.

Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 22nd and Saudi Arabia ranks 23rd of 110 countries.

Iran, Islamic Republic of has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Iran, Islamic Republic of	Saudi Arabia	Difference	Ahead
2010s	32.4%	28.1%	4.2%	Iran, Islamic Republic of
2020s	44.6%	38.6%	6.1%	Iran, Islamic Republic of

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of the population with post-secondary education or higher, Iran, Islamic Republic of or Saudi Arabia?: Iran, Islamic Republic of, at 45.7% against 45.4% in Saudi Arabia as of 2023.
What is the difference in share of the population with post-secondary education or higher between Iran, Islamic Republic of and Saudi Arabia?: 0.3%, with Iran, Islamic Republic of ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iran, Islamic Republic of and Saudi Arabia?: 6 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2023.
How do Iran, Islamic Republic of and Saudi Arabia rank globally for share of the population with post-secondary education or higher?: Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 22nd and Saudi Arabia ranks 23rd of 110 countries.
Where does this data come from?: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Iran, Islamic Republic of vs Saudi Arabia: Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/share-of-the-population-with-a-completed-post-secondary-education/iran-islamic-rep/saudi-arabia/

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<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/compare/share-of-the-population-with-a-completed-post-secondary-education/iran-islamic-rep/saudi-arabia/">Iran, Islamic Republic of vs Saudi Arabia: Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher
Unit: %
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 110 places, 1,338 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed: 28 August 2026

Share of adults aged 25 and older who have completed post-secondary or tertiary education.