Share of population with no formal education in France
France: Share of population with no formal education was 1.1% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2020)
1.1%
World rank
81st
of 111 countries
All-time high
78.4%
in 1870
All-time low
0.3%
in 1930
Years of data
31
1870–2020
Share of population with no formal education in France, 1870–2020
Source: Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population with no formal education in France stood at 1.1%.
The figure is down 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population with no formal education in France peaked at 78.4% in 1870 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1930.
France ranks 81st 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 France, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 78.4% | — |
| 1875 | 75.0% | -4.3% |
| 1880 | 62.7% | -16.4% |
| 1885 | 53.3% | -15.0% |
| 1890 | 43.8% | -17.8% |
| 1895 | 35.3% | -19.4% |
| 1900 | 27.9% | -21.0% |
| 1905 | 20.7% | -25.8% |
| 1910 | 14.1% | -31.9% |
| 1915 | 8.5% | -39.7% |
| 1920 | 3.3% | -61.2% |
| 1925 | 0.7% | -78.8% |
| 1930 | 0.3% | -57.1% |
| 1935 | 0.4% | +33.3% |
| 1940 | 0.4% | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.4% | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.3% | -25.0% |
| 1955 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 1.1% | +266.7% |
| 1970 | 1.1% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 1.0% | -9.1% |
| 1980 | 0.8% | -20.0% |
| 1985 | 5.0% | +525.0% |
| 1990 | 5.9% | +18.0% |
| 1995 | 3.3% | -44.1% |
| 2000 | 1.8% | -45.5% |
| 2005 | 1.2% | -33.3% |
| 2010 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1.1% | -8.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 76.7% | 75.0% | 78.4% | 2 |
| 1880s | 58.0% | 53.3% | 62.7% | 2 |
| 1890s | 39.5% | 35.3% | 43.8% | 2 |
| 1900s | 24.3% | 20.7% | 27.9% | 2 |
| 1910s | 11.3% | 8.5% | 14.1% | 2 |
| 1920s | 2.0% | 0.7% | 3.3% | 2 |
| 1930s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 2 |
| 1940s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 2 |
| 1950s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 2 |
| 1960s | 0.7% | 0.3% | 1.1% | 2 |
| 1970s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 2 |
| 1980s | 2.9% | 0.8% | 5.0% | 2 |
| 1990s | 4.6% | 3.3% | 5.9% | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.5% | 1.2% | 1.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near France
More education data for France
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.01 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), per capita 0.0294 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.11 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate -1.34 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), per capita 0.0308 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.27 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.2218 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 229,471 (2013)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate -1.63 % change on previous year (2013)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population with no formal education in France?
- Share of population with no formal education in France was 1.1% 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 France?
- The highest recorded value was 78.4% in 1870.
- What is the lowest share of population with no formal education recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1930.
- How does France rank for share of population with no formal education?
- France ranks 81st out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population with no formal education rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this France 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
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About this data
The share of adults aged between 15 and 64 years old with no formal education.