Share of population with no formal education in Poland
Poland: Share of population with no formal education was 0.2% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of population with no formal education in Poland, 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 Poland stood at 0.2%. That is the lowest value across all 31 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population with no formal education in Poland peaked at 71.0% in 1870 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2010.
That places Poland 104th out of 111 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population with no formal education in Poland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 71.0% | — |
| 1875 | 68.9% | -3.0% |
| 1880 | 66.7% | -3.2% |
| 1885 | 64.4% | -3.4% |
| 1890 | 62.0% | -3.7% |
| 1895 | 59.6% | -3.9% |
| 1900 | 57.1% | -4.2% |
| 1905 | 51.6% | -9.6% |
| 1910 | 47.2% | -8.5% |
| 1915 | 43.6% | -7.6% |
| 1920 | 39.5% | -9.4% |
| 1925 | 36.4% | -7.8% |
| 1930 | 31.0% | -14.8% |
| 1935 | 23.2% | -25.2% |
| 1940 | 15.1% | -34.9% |
| 1945 | 10.9% | -27.8% |
| 1950 | 9.0% | -17.4% |
| 1955 | 6.5% | -27.8% |
| 1960 | 4.5% | -30.8% |
| 1965 | 3.1% | -31.1% |
| 1970 | 1.4% | -54.8% |
| 1975 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.5% | -64.3% |
| 1985 | 0.8% | +60.0% |
| 1990 | 0.5% | -37.5% |
| 1995 | 1.1% | +120.0% |
| 2000 | 0.9% | -18.2% |
| 2005 | 0.4% | -55.6% |
| 2010 | 0.2% | -50.0% |
| 2015 | 0.2% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.2% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 70.0% | 68.9% | 71.0% | 2 |
| 1880s | 65.6% | 64.4% | 66.7% | 2 |
| 1890s | 60.8% | 59.6% | 62.0% | 2 |
| 1900s | 54.4% | 51.6% | 57.1% | 2 |
| 1910s | 45.4% | 43.6% | 47.2% | 2 |
| 1920s | 38.0% | 36.4% | 39.5% | 2 |
| 1930s | 27.1% | 23.2% | 31.0% | 2 |
| 1940s | 13.0% | 10.9% | 15.1% | 2 |
| 1950s | 7.8% | 6.5% | 9.0% | 2 |
| 1960s | 3.8% | 3.1% | 4.5% | 2 |
| 1970s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.8% | 0.5% | 1.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 0.7% | 0.4% | 0.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Poland
More education data for Poland
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 3.33 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.29 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 135,357 (2025)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 5.17 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.61 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.07 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.72 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.5 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.51 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -1.45 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population with no formal education in Poland?
- Share of population with no formal education in Poland was 0.2% 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 Poland?
- The highest recorded value was 71.0% in 1870.
- What is the lowest share of population with no formal education recorded in Poland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2010.
- How does Poland rank for share of population with no formal education?
- Poland ranks 104th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population with no formal education rising or falling in Poland?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Poland 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.