Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher was 100.0% in 2021. ▬ Flat

Latest (2021)
100.0%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
1st
of 134 countries
All-time high
100.0%
in 2017
All-time low
99.8%
in 2009
Years of data
9
2009–2021

Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2009–2021

0204060801002009201520212009: 99.8 %2010: 99.9 %2011: 99.9 %2012: 99.9 %2013: 99.9 %2014: 99.9 %2017: 100 %2020: 100 %2021: 100 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 100.0% for educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in 2021. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 100.0% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 99.8%, in 2009.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 1st of 134 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher, population 25+ years, male (%) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2009 to 2021.
Year % Change
2009 99.8%
2010 99.9% +0.0%
2011 99.9% +0.0%
2012 99.9% -0.0%
2013 99.9% +0.0%
2014 99.9% +0.1%
2017 100.0% +0.1%
2020 100.0% +0.0%
2021 100.0% +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 99.8% 99.8% 99.8% 1
2010s 99.9% 99.9% 100.0% 6
2020s 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 2

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 1 Austria 100.0% compare
  2. 1 Cook Islands 99.7% compare
  3. 1 Germany 100.0% compare
  4. 1 Denmark 100.0% compare
  5. 1 Finland 100.0% compare
  6. 1 France 100.0% compare
  7. 1 Hong Kong, China 100.0% compare
  8. 1 Iceland 100.0% compare
  9. 1 Russian Federation 100.0% compare
  10. 1 Sweden 100.0% compare
  11. 1 Ukraine 100.0% compare
  12. 1 Uzbekistan 100.0%

See the full ranking of 135 places →

More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 100.0% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 2017.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 99.8% in 2009.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 1st out of 134 countries with data for 2021.
Is educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher, population 25+ years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-primary-education-or-higher-population-25-years/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher, population 25+ years, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
135 places, 2,264 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release