Share of population with no formal education in Switzerland
Switzerland: Share of population with no formal education was 1.1% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of population with no formal education in Switzerland, 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 Switzerland stood at 1.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 21.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population with no formal education in Switzerland peaked at 25.7% in 1870 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 1945.
That places Switzerland 81st out of 111 countries with data for 2020, putting it 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 Switzerland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 25.7% | — |
| 1875 | 23.3% | -9.3% |
| 1880 | 20.7% | -11.2% |
| 1885 | 18.1% | -12.6% |
| 1890 | 15.4% | -14.9% |
| 1895 | 12.9% | -16.2% |
| 1900 | 11.3% | -12.4% |
| 1905 | 9.3% | -17.7% |
| 1910 | 7.3% | -21.5% |
| 1915 | 6.0% | -17.8% |
| 1920 | 3.3% | -45.0% |
| 1925 | 2.3% | -30.3% |
| 1930 | 1.7% | -26.1% |
| 1935 | 1.4% | -17.6% |
| 1940 | 0.8% | -42.9% |
| 1945 | 0.2% | -75.0% |
| 1950 | 0.2% | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.2% | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.2% | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 2.4% | +1100.0% |
| 1970 | 4.4% | +83.3% |
| 1975 | 4.0% | -9.1% |
| 1980 | 2.7% | -32.5% |
| 1985 | 6.8% | +151.9% |
| 1990 | 8.4% | +23.5% |
| 1995 | 10.2% | +21.4% |
| 2000 | 11.5% | +12.7% |
| 2005 | 9.0% | -21.7% |
| 2010 | 1.4% | -84.4% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | -14.3% |
| 2020 | 1.1% | -8.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 24.5% | 23.3% | 25.7% | 2 |
| 1880s | 19.4% | 18.1% | 20.7% | 2 |
| 1890s | 14.2% | 12.9% | 15.4% | 2 |
| 1900s | 10.3% | 9.3% | 11.3% | 2 |
| 1910s | 6.7% | 6.0% | 7.3% | 2 |
| 1920s | 2.8% | 2.3% | 3.3% | 2 |
| 1930s | 1.5% | 1.4% | 1.7% | 2 |
| 1940s | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.8% | 2 |
| 1950s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 1.3% | 0.2% | 2.4% | 2 |
| 1970s | 4.2% | 4.0% | 4.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 4.8% | 2.7% | 6.8% | 2 |
| 1990s | 9.3% | 8.4% | 10.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 10.2% | 9.0% | 11.5% | 2 |
| 2010s | 1.3% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 2 |
| 2020s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More education data for Switzerland
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 270,546 (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.33 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), per capita 0.03 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 286,399 (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 0.0318 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 636,381 (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.63 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 58,349 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.72 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population with no formal education in Switzerland?
- Share of population with no formal education in Switzerland 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 Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 25.7% in 1870.
- What is the lowest share of population with no formal education recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 1945.
- How does Switzerland rank for share of population with no formal education?
- Switzerland ranks 81st out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population with no formal education rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Switzerland 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.