Denmark vs Norway: Average years of schooling among adults

Denmark
13.03 years
in 2023
Norway
13.12 years
in 2023
Denmark rank
15th
Norway rank
13th

Average years of schooling among adults over time

  • Denmark
  • Norway
051015199020062023

How they compare

Norway currently reports 13.12 years against 13.03 years in Denmark, a difference of 0.09 years.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Norway ahead.

Denmark ranks 15th and Norway ranks 13th of 192 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Denmark averaged higher in 1 and Norway in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Denmark Norway Difference Ahead
1990s 11.75 years 11.88 years 0.1271 years Norway
2000s 12.74 years 12.28 years 0.4561 years Denmark
2010s 12.73 years 12.77 years 0.0385 years Norway
2020s 13.01 years 13.1 years 0.0927 years Norway

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher average years of schooling among adults, Denmark or Norway?
Norway, at 13.12 years against 13.03 years in Denmark as of 2023.
What is the difference in average years of schooling among adults between Denmark and Norway?
0.09 years, with Norway ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and Norway?
34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
How do Denmark and Norway rank globally for average years of schooling among adults?
Denmark ranks 15th and Norway ranks 13th 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 among adults. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Average years of schooling among adults
Unit
years
Source
UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
192 places, 6,079 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

Average number of years (excluding years spent repeating individual grades) adults over 25 years participated in formal education.