Switzerland vs United States of America: Share of the population with lower secondary education
Switzerland
98.2%
in 2024
United States of America
96.6%
in 2024
Switzerland rank
15th
United States of America rank
18th
Share of the population with lower secondary education over time
- Switzerland
- United States of America
How they compare
Switzerland currently reports 98.2% against 96.6% in United States of America, a difference of 1.6%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 16 shared years of data; in 1980 it was United States of America ahead.
Switzerland ranks 15th and United States of America ranks 18th of 135 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Switzerland averaged higher in 3 and United States of America in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Switzerland | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 19.4% | 92.7% | 73.3% | United States of America |
| 2000s | 95.9% | 94.5% | 1.4% | Switzerland |
| 2010s | 96.7% | 95.5% | 1.2% | Switzerland |
| 2020s | 97.9% | 96.3% | 1.7% | Switzerland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of the population with lower secondary education, Switzerland or United States of America?
- Switzerland, at 98.2% against 96.6% in United States of America as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of the population with lower secondary education between Switzerland and United States of America?
- 1.6%, with Switzerland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Switzerland and United States of America?
- 16 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
- How do Switzerland and United States of America rank globally for share of the population with lower secondary education?
- Switzerland ranks 15th and United States of America ranks 18th of 135 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 lower secondary education. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of adults aged 25 and older who have completed lower secondary education or higher.