Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Italy

Italy: Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or was 84.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
84.4%
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
55th
of 134 countries
All-time high
84.4%
in 2023
All-time low
20.1%
in 1971
Years of data
22
1971–2023

Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Italy, 1971–2023

204060801971199720231971: 20.1 %1981: 33.3 %2001: 64.4 %2005: 68.8 %2006: 70 %2007: 70.9 %2008: 71.9 %2009: 72.8 %2010: 73.8 %2011: 74.8 %2012: 75.7 %2013: 77.1 %2014: 77.6 %2015: 78.5 %2016: 80.1 %2017: 81 %2018: 81.9 %2019: 82.8 %2020: 82.2 %2021: 82.5 %2022: 82.9 %2023: 84.4 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Italy stood at 84.4%. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.

The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 9.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Italy peaked at 84.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 20.1%, in 1971.

That places Italy 55th out of 134 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.

Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Italy, year by year

Annual values for Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or higher, population 25+ years, both sexes (%) in Italy, 1971 to 2023.
Year % Change
1971 20.1%
1981 33.3% +65.5%
2001 64.4% +93.5%
2005 68.8% +6.7%
2006 70.0% +1.8%
2007 70.9% +1.3%
2008 71.9% +1.5%
2009 72.8% +1.3%
2010 73.8% +1.3%
2011 74.8% +1.3%
2012 75.7% +1.2%
2013 77.1% +1.8%
2014 77.6% +0.7%
2015 78.5% +1.1%
2016 80.1% +2.1%
2017 81.0% +1.1%
2018 81.9% +1.1%
2019 82.8% +1.1%
2020 82.2% -0.7%
2021 82.5% +0.3%
2022 82.9% +0.5%
2023 84.4% +1.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 20.1% 20.1% 20.1% 1
1980s 33.3% 33.3% 33.3% 1
2000s 69.8% 64.4% 72.8% 6
2010s 78.3% 73.8% 82.8% 10
2020s 83.0% 82.2% 84.4% 4

Countries ranked near Italy

  1. 52 Saudi Arabia 85.8% compare
  2. 53 South Africa 85.4% compare
  3. 54 Singapore 85.3% compare
  4. 56 Spain 84.3% compare
  5. 57 Sri Lanka 82.7% compare
  6. 58 Bahrain 82.6% compare

See the full ranking of 135 places →

More education data for Italy

All data for Italy →

Frequently asked questions

What is educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Italy?
Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Italy was 84.4% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or recorded in Italy?
The highest recorded value was 84.4% in 2023.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or recorded in Italy?
The lowest recorded value was 20.1% in 1971.
How does Italy rank for educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or?
Italy ranks 55th out of 134 countries with data for 2023.
Is educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or rising or falling in Italy?
Over the last ten years it is up 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Italy data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or higher, population 25+ years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Italy. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-lower-secondary-education-or-higher-population-25/italy/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or higher, population 25+ years, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
135 places, 1,912 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release