Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary … upper male in Norway

Norway: Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary … upper male was 80.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
80.9%
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
37th
of 140 countries
All-time high
83.8%
in 2001
All-time low
34.1%
in 1970
Years of data
30
1970–2023

Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Norway, 1970–2023

0204060801970199620231970: 34.1 %1975: 38.3 %1980: 44 %1990: 69.8 %1996: 78.8 %1997: 80.2 %1998: 81.6 %1999: 82.6 %2000: 83.5 %2001: 83.8 %2002: 83.6 %2004: 73.4 %2005: 74.2 %2006: 75.4 %2007: 75.8 %2008: 76.3 %2009: 76.4 %2010: 76.8 %2011: 77.2 %2012: 81.4 %2013: 81.7 %2014: 77.7 %2015: 78.1 %2016: 78.3 %2017: 78.5 %2018: 82.1 %2019: 78.7 %2021: 82.6 %2022: 80.1 %2023: 80.9 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Norway stood at 80.9%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and down 0.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Norway peaked at 83.8% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 34.1%, in 1970.

Norway ranks 37th of 140 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.

Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary … upper male in Norway, year by year

Annual values for Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or higher, population 25+ years, male (%) in Norway, 1970 to 2023.
Year % Change
1970 34.1% —
1975 38.3% +12.2%
1980 44.0% +14.9%
1990 69.8% +58.6%
1996 78.8% +12.9%
1997 80.2% +1.8%
1998 81.6% +1.7%
1999 82.6% +1.3%
2000 83.5% +1.0%
2001 83.8% +0.4%
2002 83.6% -0.2%
2004 73.4% -12.3%
2005 74.2% +1.1%
2006 75.4% +1.6%
2007 75.8% +0.4%
2008 76.3% +0.7%
2009 76.4% +0.2%
2010 76.8% +0.5%
2011 77.2% +0.6%
2012 81.4% +5.4%
2013 81.7% +0.3%
2014 77.7% -4.8%
2015 78.1% +0.5%
2016 78.3% +0.2%
2017 78.5% +0.3%
2018 82.1% +4.6%
2019 78.7% -4.2%
2021 82.6% +5.0%
2022 80.1% -3.0%
2023 80.9% +1.0%

Norway compared with similar countries

  • Norway's 80.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 79.7%, 1.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • Norway's 80.9% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 81.6%, 99% of the median. (47 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary … upper male in Norway changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1990 +58.6% 44.0% 69.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 36.2% 34.1% 38.3% 2
1980s 44.0% 44.0% 44.0% 1
1990s 78.6% 69.8% 82.6% 5
2000s 78.0% 73.4% 83.8% 9
2010s 79.1% 76.8% 82.1% 10
2020s 81.2% 80.1% 82.6% 3

Countries ranked near Norway

  1. 34 Serbia 81.3% compare
  2. 35 Singapore 81.3% compare
  3. 36 Iceland 81.1% compare
  4. 38 Ireland 80.8% compare
  5. 39 Finland 80.5% compare
  6. 40 United Kingdom 79.8% compare

See the full ranking of 140 places →

More education data for Norway

All data for Norway →

Frequently asked questions

What is educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Norway?
Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Norway was 80.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or recorded in Norway?
The highest recorded value was 83.8% in 2001.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or recorded in Norway?
The lowest recorded value was 34.1% in 1970.
How does Norway rank for educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or?
Norway ranks 37th out of 140 countries with data for 2023.
Is educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or rising or falling in Norway?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Norway data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or higher, population 25+ years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Norway. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 13 November 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-upper-secondary-education-or-higher-population-25-2/norway/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary 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
140 places, 2,301 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release