Official entrance age to post-secondary non-tertiary education (years) by country
February 2026 Data Release
Countries reporting
176
Highest
20 years
Denmark
Lowest
14 years
San Marino
Median
18 years
Years covered
56
1970–2025
Data points
4,134
What the numbers show
Official entrance age to post-secondary non-tertiary education (years) is currently reported for 176 countries. The highest value is 20 years in Denmark; the lowest is 14 years in San Marino.
The median across all reporting countries is 18 years, and the mean is 18.01 years.
Over the past decade 5 countries rose and 6 fell. The largest increase was in Philippines (up 12.5%), and the largest decrease in Bhutan (down 5.9%).
Official entrance age to post-secondary non-tertiary education: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denmark | 20 years | 2012 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Iceland | 20 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 1 | Niger | 20 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Tanzania | 20 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Tokelau | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 2 | Anguilla | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 2 | Cook Islands | 17 years | 2012 | unchanged | flat |
| 2 | Montserrat | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Afghanistan | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Burkina Faso | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Bulgaria | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Brunei | 19 years | 2012 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Botswana | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Switzerland | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Cote d'Ivoire | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Cameroon | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Congo | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Czechia | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Germany | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Estonia | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Ethiopia | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Finland | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Gambia | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Haiti | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Hungary | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Liechtenstein | 19 years | 2012 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Lithuania | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Latvia | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Moldova | 19 years | 2025 | up 5.6% | flat |
| 5 | North Macedonia | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Mali | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Montenegro | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Mauritania | 19 years | 2012 | up 5.6% | rising |
| 5 | Netherlands | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Norway | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Papua New Guinea | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Poland | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Romania | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Rwanda | 19 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Senegal | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Solomon Islands | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Sierra Leone | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Serbia | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Suriname | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Slovakia | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Slovenia | 19 years | 2012 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Sweden | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Chad | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Togo | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Tunisia | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Uganda | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Yemen | 19 years | 2007 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | South Africa | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Zambia | 19 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Andorra | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | United Arab Emirates | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Azerbaijan | 18 years | 2025 | up 5.9% | rising |
| 52 | Belgium | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Benin | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 52 | Bangladesh | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 52 | Bahrain | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Brazil | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Canada | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | China | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 18 years | 2008 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Comoros | 18 years | 2025 | down 5.3% | flat |
| 52 | Cape Verde | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Cuba | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Cyprus | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Algeria | 18 years | 2006 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Ecuador | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Egypt | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 52 | Eritrea | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Spain | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 52 | Fiji | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Micronesia (country) | 18 years | 2025 | down 5.3% | flat |
| 52 | Gabon | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 52 | United Kingdom | 18 years | 2010 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Georgia | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 52 | Ghana | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Guinea-Bissau | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Greece | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Hong Kong | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | India | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Ireland | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Iraq | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Israel | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 52 | Italy | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 52 | Japan | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Kenya | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Kyrgyzstan | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 52 | Cambodia | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Kuwait | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Laos | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 52 | Lebanon | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Liberia | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Libya | 18 years | 2017 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Sri Lanka | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Lesotho | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Luxembourg | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Morocco | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Monaco | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Madagascar | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Maldives | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Marshall Islands | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Malta | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Mongolia | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Mozambique | 18 years | 2008 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Mauritius | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 52 | Malawi | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Namibia | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Nigeria | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Nicaragua | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Nauru | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Oman | 18 years | 2012 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Panama | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Philippines | 18 years | 2025 | up 12.5% | rising |
| 52 | Palau | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Puerto Rico | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | North Korea | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 52 | Portugal | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Paraguay | 18 years | 2005 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Palestine | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Qatar | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Russia | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 52 | Saudi Arabia | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Eswatini | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Syria | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Thailand | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Tajikistan | 18 years | 2011 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Turkmenistan | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 52 | Tonga | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 52 | Uruguay | 18 years | 2004 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | United States | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | British Virgin Islands | 18 years | 2025 | up 5.9% | rising |
| 52 | Vietnam | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Vanuatu | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Samoa | 18 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 137 | Antigua and Barbuda | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 137 | Bahamas | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 137 | Belarus | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 137 | Belize | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 137 | Colombia | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 137 | Cayman Islands | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 137 | Djibouti | 17 years | 2019 | down 5.6% | falling |
| 137 | Dominica | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 137 | France | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 137 | Grenada | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 137 | Iran | 17 years | 2012 | unchanged | flat |
| 137 | Jamaica | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 137 | Kazakhstan | 17 years | 2025 | down 5.6% | flat |
| 137 | Kiribati | 17 years | 2025 | — | flat |
| 137 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 137 | Saint Lucia | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 137 | Malaysia | 17 years | 2012 | unchanged | flat |
| 137 | New Zealand | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 137 | Pakistan | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 137 | Peru | 17 years | 2006 | unchanged | flat |
| 137 | Trinidad and Tobago | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 137 | Ukraine | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 137 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 137 | Zimbabwe | 17 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 161 | Australia | 16 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 161 | Austria | 16 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 161 | Barbados | 16 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 161 | Bhutan | 16 years | 2025 | down 5.9% | flat |
| 161 | Curacao | 16 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 161 | Gibraltar | 16 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 161 | Guyana | 16 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 161 | Myanmar | 16 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 161 | Singapore | 16 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 161 | Seychelles | 16 years | 2025 | down 5.9% | flat |
| 161 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 16 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 172 | San Marino | 14 years | 2010 | unchanged | flat |
About this data
February 2026 Data Release