Colombia vs Iran: Share of the population with tertiary education

Colombia
26.4%
in 2020
Iran
24.4%
in 2020
Colombia rank
31st
Iran rank
34th

Share of the population with tertiary education over time

  • Colombia
  • Iran
0102030187019452020

How they compare

Colombia currently reports 26.4% against 24.4% in Iran, a difference of 2.0%.

That makes Colombia's figure about 1.1 times Iran's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 31 shared years of data; in 1870 it was Colombia ahead.

Colombia ranks 31st and Iran ranks 34th of 111 countries.

Across the 16 decades both report, Colombia averaged higher in 15 and Iran in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Colombia Iran Difference Ahead
1870s 0.1% 0.0% 0.1% Colombia
1880s 0.1% 0.0% 0.1% Colombia
1890s 0.2% 0.0% 0.2% Colombia
1900s 0.2% 0.0% 0.2% Colombia
1910s 0.5% 0.1% 0.4% Colombia
1920s 0.6% 0.1% 0.5% Colombia
1930s 0.8% 0.1% 0.7% Colombia
1940s 0.9% 0.2% 0.7% Colombia
1950s 0.9% 0.3% 0.6% Colombia
1960s 1.4% 0.8% 0.6% Colombia
1970s 2.5% 1.4% 1.1% Colombia
1980s 5.2% 3.2% 2.0% Colombia
1990s 10.0% 6.7% 3.3% Colombia
2000s 11.1% 12.4% 1.3% Iran
2010s 23.1% 20.6% 2.5% Colombia
2020s 26.4% 24.4% 2.0% Colombia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of the population with tertiary education, Colombia or Iran?
Colombia, at 26.4% against 24.4% in Iran as of 2020.
What is the difference in share of the population with tertiary education between Colombia and Iran?
2.0%, with Colombia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Colombia and Iran?
31 years are reported by both, from 1870 to 2020.
How do Colombia and Iran rank globally for share of the population with tertiary education?
Colombia ranks 31st and Iran ranks 34th of 111 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of the population with tertiary education. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Colombia vs Iran: Share of the population with tertiary education. Statizoid, drawing on Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/share-of-the-population-with-completed-tertiary-education/colombia/iran-islamic-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population with tertiary education
Unit
%
Source
Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
111 places, 3,441 data points, 1870–2020
Last refreshed

Percentage of the population aged 25 to 65 years who have either completed or partially completed tertiary education.