Productivity vs. educational attainment in United States
United States: Productivity vs. educational attainment was 83.53 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
83.53 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
9th
of 130 countries
All-time high
83.53 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour
in 2023
All-time low
21.58 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Productivity vs. educational attainment in United States, 1950–2023
Source: Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in international-$ in 2021 prices per hour.
Analysis
The most recent figure for productivity vs. educational attainment in United States is 83.53 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, productivity vs. educational attainment in United States peaked at 83.53 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour in 2023 and was at its lowest, 21.58 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour, in 1950.
That places United States 9th out of 130 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Productivity vs. educational attainment in United States, year by year
| Year | international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 21.58 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | — |
| 1951 | 21.86 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.3% |
| 1952 | 22.34 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.2% |
| 1953 | 23.1 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.4% |
| 1954 | 23.75 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.8% |
| 1955 | 24.77 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +4.3% |
| 1956 | 24.93 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.7% |
| 1957 | 25.72 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.2% |
| 1958 | 26.41 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.7% |
| 1959 | 27.3 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.4% |
| 1960 | 27.87 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.1% |
| 1961 | 28.77 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.3% |
| 1962 | 29.74 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.4% |
| 1963 | 30.82 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.6% |
| 1964 | 31.79 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.1% |
| 1965 | 32.72 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.9% |
| 1966 | 33.61 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.7% |
| 1967 | 34.02 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.2% |
| 1968 | 34.99 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.9% |
| 1969 | 35.25 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.7% |
| 1970 | 35.99 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.1% |
| 1971 | 37.39 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.9% |
| 1972 | 38.38 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.7% |
| 1973 | 39.45 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.8% |
| 1974 | 38.95 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | -1.3% |
| 1975 | 39.96 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.6% |
| 1976 | 41.02 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.6% |
| 1977 | 41.51 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 41.98 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 42.2 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 42.21 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 43.04 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.0% |
| 1982 | 42.84 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | -0.5% |
| 1983 | 43.92 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.5% |
| 1984 | 44.87 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.2% |
| 1985 | 45.43 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 46.38 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 46.6 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 47.21 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 47.6 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 48.25 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 48.75 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 50.64 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.9% |
| 1993 | 51.02 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 51.54 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 52 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 53.23 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.4% |
| 1997 | 54.38 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 55.81 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 57.53 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 59.15 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 60.27 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 61.88 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 63.8 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 65.51 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 66.79 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 67.34 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 68.14 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 68.96 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 71.02 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 72.94 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 72.99 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 73.44 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 74.14 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 74.59 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 74.99 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 75.3 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 76.11 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 76.83 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 77.74 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 81.08 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +4.3% |
| 2021 | 82.3 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 81.95 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 83.53 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.9% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 83.53 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour is above the median for high income countries, which is 51.52 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour, 1.6× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 24.18 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 21.58 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 27.3 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 10 |
| 1960s | 31.96 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 27.87 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 35.25 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 10 |
| 1970s | 39.68 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 35.99 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 42.2 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 10 |
| 1980s | 45.01 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 42.21 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 47.6 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.31 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 48.25 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 57.53 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 65.29 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 59.15 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 71.02 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.91 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 72.94 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 77.74 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 82.22 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 81.08 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 83.53 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 6 Netherlands 84.8 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour compare
- 7 Luxembourg 84.76 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour compare
- 8 Belgium 84.4 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour compare
- 10 Germany 82.5 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour compare
- 11 Sweden 80.74 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour compare
- 12 France 77.67 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour compare
More education data for United States
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.74 million (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 419,732 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 4.34 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4.14 million (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 25.35 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 23.83 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.33 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0708 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is productivity vs. educational attainment in United States?
- Productivity vs. educational attainment in United States was 83.53 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour in 2023, according to Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest productivity vs. educational attainment recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 83.53 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour in 2023.
- What is the lowest productivity vs. educational attainment recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.58 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour in 1950.
- How does United States rank for productivity vs. educational attainment?
- United States ranks 9th out of 130 countries with data for 2023.
- Is productivity vs. educational attainment rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Productivity vs. educational attainment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Productivity is calculated as GDP divided by the total number of hours worked in the economy. This data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.