Share of the population with lower secondary education in Italy
Italy: Share of the population with lower secondary education was 84.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of the population with lower secondary education in Italy, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, share of the population with lower secondary education in Italy stood at 84.4%. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 9.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with lower secondary education in Italy peaked at 84.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 20.1%, in 1971.
Italy ranks 56th of 135 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Share of the population with lower secondary education in Italy, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 20.1% | — |
| 1981 | 33.3% | +65.5% |
| 2001 | 64.4% | +93.5% |
| 2005 | 68.8% | +6.7% |
| 2006 | 70.0% | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 70.9% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 71.9% | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 72.8% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 73.8% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 74.8% | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 75.7% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 77.1% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 77.6% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 78.5% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 80.1% | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 81.0% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 81.9% | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 82.8% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 82.2% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 82.5% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 82.9% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 84.4% | +1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 20.1% | 20.1% | 20.1% | 1 |
| 1980s | 33.3% | 33.3% | 33.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 69.8% | 64.4% | 72.8% | 6 |
| 2010s | 78.3% | 73.8% | 82.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 83.0% | 82.2% | 84.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Italy
More education data for Italy
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.61 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.7347 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 250,961 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.0909 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.22 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate -0.6419 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.38 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -0.8215 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.29 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -2.4 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population with lower secondary education in Italy?
- Share of the population with lower secondary education in Italy was 84.4% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with lower secondary education recorded in Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 84.4% in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of the population with lower secondary education recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.1% in 1971.
- How does Italy rank for share of the population with lower secondary education?
- Italy ranks 56th out of 135 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of the population with lower secondary education rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Italy data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population with lower secondary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of adults aged 25 and older who have completed lower secondary education or higher.