Mean years of schooling long run by country
Countries reporting
111
Highest
13.74
Ireland
Lowest
3.04
Niger
Median
9.44
Years covered
151
1870–2020
Data points
3,441
What the numbers show
Mean years of schooling long run is currently reported for 111 countries. The highest value is 13.74 in Ireland; the lowest is 3.04 in Niger.
The median across all reporting countries is 9.44, and the mean is 9.31.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 5.
Over the past decade 99 countries rose and 12 fell. The largest increase was in Mozambique (up 107.9%), and the largest decrease in Guyana (down 5.3%).
Mean years of schooling long run: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ireland | 13.74 | 2020 | up 10.4% | volatile |
| 2 | South Korea | 13.68 | 2020 | up 5.6% | volatile |
| 3 | Iceland | 13.53 | 2020 | up 17.4% | volatile |
| 4 | United States | 13.32 | 2020 | up 0.6% | rising |
| 5 | Germany | 13.1 | 2020 | up 4.1% | rising |
| 6 | Switzerland | 12.97 | 2020 | up 0.4% | rising |
| 7 | Australia | 12.93 | 2020 | up 10.6% | volatile |
| 7 | Canada | 12.93 | 2020 | up 1.5% | rising |
| 7 | Czechia | 12.93 | 2020 | up 1.0% | rising |
| 10 | United Kingdom | 12.9 | 2020 | up 3.5% | volatile |
| 11 | Hong Kong | 12.83 | 2020 | up 5.2% | volatile |
| 11 | Japan | 12.83 | 2020 | up 3.1% | volatile |
| 13 | Taiwan | 12.76 | 2020 | up 6.7% | volatile |
| 14 | Cyprus | 12.42 | 2020 | up 5.6% | volatile |
| 15 | Malta | 12.09 | 2020 | up 9.3% | volatile |
| 16 | Norway | 12.08 | 2020 | up 3.7% | rising |
| 17 | Poland | 12.01 | 2020 | up 3.4% | volatile |
| 18 | Hungary | 11.96 | 2020 | down 0.2% | rising |
| 18 | Malaysia | 11.96 | 2020 | up 9.8% | volatile |
| 20 | Sweden | 11.93 | 2020 | down 0.2% | rising |
| 21 | France | 11.89 | 2020 | up 4.9% | volatile |
| 22 | Greece | 11.86 | 2020 | up 4.4% | volatile |
| 23 | Netherlands | 11.82 | 2020 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 24 | Serbia | 11.72 | 2020 | up 1.7% | volatile |
| 25 | Denmark | 11.69 | 2020 | down 2.3% | volatile |
| 26 | Cuba | 11.61 | 2020 | up 5.0% | volatile |
| 27 | Russia | 11.6 | 2020 | down 3.5% | volatile |
| 28 | Belgium | 11.57 | 2020 | up 2.5% | volatile |
| 29 | Luxembourg | 11.53 | 2020 | up 1.8% | volatile |
| 30 | Fiji | 11.52 | 2020 | up 11.3% | volatile |
| 31 | Spain | 11.51 | 2020 | up 7.1% | volatile |
| 31 | Italy | 11.51 | 2020 | up 7.5% | volatile |
| 33 | Romania | 11.28 | 2020 | up 0.4% | volatile |
| 33 | Trinidad and Tobago | 11.28 | 2020 | up 2.9% | volatile |
| 35 | Finland | 11.05 | 2020 | up 3.2% | volatile |
| 36 | Jordan | 10.81 | 2020 | up 9.0% | volatile |
| 36 | New Zealand | 10.81 | 2020 | down 2.8% | rising |
| 38 | Bulgaria | 10.75 | 2020 | down 2.9% | volatile |
| 39 | Chile | 10.74 | 2020 | up 3.8% | volatile |
| 40 | Belize | 10.71 | 2020 | down 5.1% | volatile |
| 41 | South Africa | 10.47 | 2020 | up 5.9% | volatile |
| 42 | Panama | 10.44 | 2020 | up 7.4% | volatile |
| 43 | Mauritius | 10.4 | 2020 | up 10.2% | volatile |
| 44 | Austria | 10.39 | 2020 | up 2.6% | rising |
| 45 | Sri Lanka | 10.33 | 2020 | down 3.2% | volatile |
| 46 | Albania | 10.32 | 2020 | down 1.1% | volatile |
| 47 | Colombia | 10.2 | 2020 | up 9.1% | volatile |
| 48 | Mexico | 10.18 | 2020 | up 10.9% | volatile |
| 49 | Jamaica | 10.1 | 2020 | down 2.2% | volatile |
| 50 | Peru | 9.96 | 2020 | up 7.3% | volatile |
| 51 | Argentina | 9.86 | 2020 | up 1.5% | volatile |
| 52 | Iran | 9.8 | 2020 | up 7.1% | volatile |
| 53 | Barbados | 9.67 | 2020 | up 1.0% | volatile |
| 54 | Libya | 9.57 | 2020 | up 13.5% | volatile |
| 55 | Portugal | 9.56 | 2020 | up 9.8% | volatile |
| 56 | Philippines | 9.44 | 2020 | up 9.1% | volatile |
| 57 | Venezuela | 9.33 | 2020 | up 6.3% | volatile |
| 58 | Thailand | 9.32 | 2020 | up 10.0% | volatile |
| 59 | Tunisia | 9.29 | 2020 | up 16.1% | volatile |
| 60 | Costa Rica | 9.12 | 2020 | up 8.2% | volatile |
| 61 | Ecuador | 9.07 | 2020 | up 13.1% | volatile |
| 62 | Bolivia | 9.06 | 2020 | up 5.7% | volatile |
| 62 | Indonesia | 9.06 | 2020 | up 13.0% | volatile |
| 64 | Dominican Republic | 9.04 | 2020 | up 11.3% | volatile |
| 65 | China | 8.99 | 2020 | up 9.0% | volatile |
| 66 | Paraguay | 8.83 | 2020 | up 10.5% | volatile |
| 67 | Uruguay | 8.76 | 2020 | up 1.7% | volatile |
| 68 | Reunion | 8.71 | 2020 | up 5.1% | volatile |
| 69 | Guyana | 8.52 | 2020 | down 5.3% | volatile |
| 70 | Turkey | 8.49 | 2020 | up 14.1% | volatile |
| 71 | Ghana | 8.39 | 2020 | up 9.5% | volatile |
| 72 | Zambia | 8.37 | 2020 | up 13.1% | volatile |
| 73 | Zimbabwe | 8.32 | 2020 | up 5.9% | volatile |
| 74 | Iraq | 8.27 | 2020 | up 11.3% | volatile |
| 75 | Algeria | 8.18 | 2020 | up 16.9% | volatile |
| 76 | El Salvador | 8.1 | 2020 | up 0.5% | volatile |
| 77 | Egypt | 8.01 | 2020 | up 7.7% | volatile |
| 78 | Brazil | 8 | 2020 | down 2.1% | volatile |
| 79 | Syria | 7.92 | 2020 | up 12.0% | volatile |
| 80 | India | 7.8 | 2020 | up 18.4% | volatile |
| 81 | Nicaragua | 7.76 | 2020 | up 13.8% | volatile |
| 82 | Togo | 7.68 | 2020 | up 26.1% | volatile |
| 83 | Honduras | 7.51 | 2020 | up 13.8% | volatile |
| 84 | Cameroon | 7.37 | 2020 | up 15.0% | volatile |
| 85 | Bangladesh | 7.23 | 2020 | up 16.2% | volatile |
| 86 | Lesotho | 6.88 | 2020 | up 13.2% | volatile |
| 87 | Morocco | 6.83 | 2020 | up 29.6% | volatile |
| 88 | Kenya | 6.73 | 2020 | up 4.0% | volatile |
| 89 | Uganda | 6.69 | 2020 | up 14.0% | volatile |
| 90 | Kuwait | 6.62 | 2020 | up 3.6% | volatile |
| 91 | Myanmar | 6.48 | 2020 | up 26.8% | volatile |
| 92 | Eswatini | 6.46 | 2020 | up 21.2% | volatile |
| 93 | Pakistan | 6.41 | 2020 | up 22.8% | volatile |
| 94 | Benin | 6.27 | 2020 | up 37.2% | volatile |
| 95 | Guatemala | 6.26 | 2020 | up 20.2% | volatile |
| 96 | Nepal | 6.19 | 2020 | up 39.4% | volatile |
| 97 | Cote d'Ivoire | 6.05 | 2020 | up 22.7% | volatile |
| 98 | Haiti | 5.95 | 2020 | up 15.1% | volatile |
| 99 | Cambodia | 5.81 | 2020 | up 17.6% | volatile |
| 100 | Liberia | 5.8 | 2020 | up 33.3% | volatile |
| 101 | Afghanistan | 5.69 | 2020 | up 44.8% | volatile |
| 102 | Yemen | 5.56 | 2020 | up 44.8% | volatile |
| 103 | Malawi | 5.41 | 2020 | up 8.0% | volatile |
| 104 | Sierra Leone | 4.99 | 2020 | up 16.6% | volatile |
| 105 | Gambia | 4.92 | 2020 | up 25.5% | volatile |
| 106 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 4.85 | 2020 | up 28.0% | volatile |
| 107 | Senegal | 4.4 | 2020 | up 41.5% | volatile |
| 108 | Sudan | 4.38 | 2020 | up 25.5% | volatile |
| 109 | Mozambique | 4.22 | 2020 | up 107.9% | volatile |
| 110 | Mali | 3.55 | 2020 | up 65.9% | volatile |
| 111 | Niger | 3.04 | 2020 | up 55.9% | volatile |