Share of population with no formal education in Denmark
Denmark: Share of population with no formal education was 3.3% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of population with no formal education in Denmark, 1870–2020
Source: Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population with no formal education in Denmark is 3.3%, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population with no formal education in Denmark peaked at 13.9% in 1870 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1990.
Denmark ranks 51st of 111 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population with no formal education in Denmark, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 13.9% | — |
| 1875 | 12.9% | -7.2% |
| 1880 | 12.0% | -7.0% |
| 1885 | 10.9% | -9.2% |
| 1890 | 9.7% | -11.0% |
| 1895 | 8.7% | -10.3% |
| 1900 | 7.8% | -10.3% |
| 1905 | 7.0% | -10.3% |
| 1910 | 6.0% | -14.3% |
| 1915 | 5.1% | -15.0% |
| 1920 | 4.3% | -15.7% |
| 1925 | 3.6% | -16.3% |
| 1930 | 2.9% | -19.4% |
| 1935 | 2.4% | -17.2% |
| 1940 | 2.0% | -16.7% |
| 1945 | 2.6% | +30.0% |
| 1950 | 2.4% | -7.7% |
| 1955 | 2.9% | +20.8% |
| 1960 | 2.8% | -3.4% |
| 1965 | 2.5% | -10.7% |
| 1970 | 1.4% | -44.0% |
| 1975 | 1.8% | +28.6% |
| 1980 | 2.3% | +27.8% |
| 1985 | 2.5% | +8.7% |
| 1990 | 0.1% | -96.0% |
| 1995 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 1.3% | +1200.0% |
| 2005 | 2.4% | +84.6% |
| 2010 | 2.9% | +20.8% |
| 2015 | 3.2% | +10.3% |
| 2020 | 3.3% | +3.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 13.4% | 12.9% | 13.9% | 2 |
| 1880s | 11.4% | 10.9% | 12.0% | 2 |
| 1890s | 9.2% | 8.7% | 9.7% | 2 |
| 1900s | 7.4% | 7.0% | 7.8% | 2 |
| 1910s | 5.5% | 5.1% | 6.0% | 2 |
| 1920s | 4.0% | 3.6% | 4.3% | 2 |
| 1930s | 2.6% | 2.4% | 2.9% | 2 |
| 1940s | 2.3% | 2.0% | 2.6% | 2 |
| 1950s | 2.6% | 2.4% | 2.9% | 2 |
| 1960s | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 2 |
| 1970s | 1.6% | 1.4% | 1.8% | 2 |
| 1980s | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 1.3% | 2.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 3.0% | 2.9% | 3.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
More education data for Denmark
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) -2.5 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 28,282 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 13,823 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 168,047 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) -1.8 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 122,855 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) -3.43 % change on previous year (2024)
- Theoretical duration of primary education (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population with no formal education in Denmark?
- Share of population with no formal education in Denmark was 3.3% in 2020, according to Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population with no formal education recorded in Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 13.9% in 1870.
- What is the lowest share of population with no formal education recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1990.
- How does Denmark rank for share of population with no formal education?
- Denmark ranks 51st out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population with no formal education rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Denmark data come from?
- The figures come from Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population with no formal education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The share of adults aged between 15 and 64 years old with no formal education.