Share of population with no formal education in Germany
Germany: Share of population with no formal education was 1.6% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of population with no formal education in Germany, 1870–2020
Source: Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Germany recorded 1.6% for share of population with no formal education in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 31 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population with no formal education in Germany peaked at 65.5% in 1870 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 2020.
Germany ranks 77th 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 Germany, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 65.5% | — |
| 1875 | 62.6% | -4.4% |
| 1880 | 59.6% | -4.8% |
| 1885 | 56.6% | -5.0% |
| 1890 | 53.6% | -5.3% |
| 1895 | 50.7% | -5.4% |
| 1900 | 48.4% | -4.5% |
| 1905 | 46.8% | -3.3% |
| 1910 | 45.4% | -3.0% |
| 1915 | 36.0% | -20.7% |
| 1920 | 27.3% | -24.2% |
| 1925 | 21.5% | -21.2% |
| 1930 | 19.3% | -10.2% |
| 1935 | 15.6% | -19.2% |
| 1940 | 12.8% | -17.9% |
| 1945 | 9.7% | -24.2% |
| 1950 | 5.7% | -41.2% |
| 1955 | 3.0% | -47.4% |
| 1960 | 2.9% | -3.3% |
| 1965 | 2.9% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 5.6% | +93.1% |
| 1975 | 6.2% | +10.7% |
| 1980 | 6.5% | +4.8% |
| 1985 | 5.6% | -13.8% |
| 1990 | 5.2% | -7.1% |
| 1995 | 5.0% | -3.8% |
| 2000 | 4.0% | -20.0% |
| 2005 | 3.5% | -12.5% |
| 2010 | 1.7% | -51.4% |
| 2015 | 1.8% | +5.9% |
| 2020 | 1.6% | -11.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 64.0% | 62.6% | 65.5% | 2 |
| 1880s | 58.1% | 56.6% | 59.6% | 2 |
| 1890s | 52.2% | 50.7% | 53.6% | 2 |
| 1900s | 47.6% | 46.8% | 48.4% | 2 |
| 1910s | 40.7% | 36.0% | 45.4% | 2 |
| 1920s | 24.4% | 21.5% | 27.3% | 2 |
| 1930s | 17.4% | 15.6% | 19.3% | 2 |
| 1940s | 11.2% | 9.7% | 12.8% | 2 |
| 1950s | 4.3% | 3.0% | 5.7% | 2 |
| 1960s | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2 |
| 1970s | 5.9% | 5.6% | 6.2% | 2 |
| 1980s | 6.0% | 5.6% | 6.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 5.1% | 5.0% | 5.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 3.8% | 3.5% | 4.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 1.8% | 1.7% | 1.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More education data for Germany
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 3.68 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.5802 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.61 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -0.123 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.27 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) -1.92 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 247,884 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 35,967 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.66 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) -1.47 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population with no formal education in Germany?
- Share of population with no formal education in Germany was 1.6% 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 Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 65.5% in 1870.
- What is the lowest share of population with no formal education recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 2020.
- How does Germany rank for share of population with no formal education?
- Germany ranks 77th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population with no formal education rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Germany 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.
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About this data
The share of adults aged between 15 and 64 years old with no formal education.