Educational attainment rate, completed upper … upper rural both in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Educational attainment rate, completed upper … upper rural both was 81.0% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
81.0%
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
19th
of 113 countries
All-time high
89.9%
in 2012
All-time low
76.5%
in 2013
Years of data
9
2009–2021
Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in United Kingdom, 2009–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2021, educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in United Kingdom stood at 81.0%.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in United Kingdom peaked at 89.9% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 76.5%, in 2013.
United Kingdom ranks 19th of 113 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Educational attainment rate, completed upper … upper rural both in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 87.0% | — |
| 2010 | 89.0% | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 86.7% | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 89.9% | +3.7% |
| 2013 | 76.5% | -14.9% |
| 2014 | 77.5% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 79.3% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 82.0% | +3.4% |
| 2021 | 81.0% | -1.2% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 81.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 73.5%, 1.1× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 81.0% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 77.6%, 1.0× the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 87.0% | 87.0% | 87.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 83.2% | 76.5% | 89.9% | 6 |
| 2020s | 81.5% | 81.0% | 82.0% | 2 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More education data for United Kingdom
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 99.73 (2018)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 99.93 (2023)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 388,714 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2012)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 830,495 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 790,556 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.40 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.86 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0111 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in United Kingdom?
- Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in United Kingdom was 81.0% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 89.9% in 2012.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 76.5% in 2013.
- How does United Kingdom rank for educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or?
- United Kingdom ranks 19th out of 113 countries with data for 2021.
- Is educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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, rural, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release