Share of the population with lower secondary education in Poland
Poland: Share of the population with lower secondary education was 88.2% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Share of the population with lower secondary education in Poland, 1970–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of the population with lower secondary education in Poland is 88.2%, measured in 2021.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and up 8.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with lower secondary education in Poland peaked at 88.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 26.1%, in 1970.
Poland ranks 48th of 135 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Share of the population with lower secondary education in Poland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 26.1% | — |
| 1978 | 39.6% | +51.7% |
| 1988 | 55.7% | +40.6% |
| 2008 | 78.9% | +41.6% |
| 2009 | 80.0% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 80.9% | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 81.7% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 82.3% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 83.1% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 83.9% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 85.3% | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 88.5% | +3.7% |
| 2021 | 88.2% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 32.9% | 26.1% | 39.6% | 2 |
| 1980s | 55.7% | 55.7% | 55.7% | 1 |
| 2000s | 79.4% | 78.9% | 80.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 82.9% | 80.9% | 85.3% | 6 |
| 2020s | 88.3% | 88.2% | 88.5% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Poland
- 45 Belgium 88.9% compare
- 46 Puerto Rico 88.8% compare
- 47 Brunei Darussalam 88.7% compare
- 49 Chile 87.8% compare
- 50 Fiji 87.3% compare
- 51 United Arab Emirates 87.3% compare
More education data for Poland
- 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)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 1.40 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.09 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 117,904 (2025)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 17,453 (2025)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 840,254 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 4.16 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population with lower secondary education in Poland?
- Share of the population with lower secondary education in Poland was 88.2% in 2021, 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 Poland?
- The highest recorded value was 88.5% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of the population with lower secondary education recorded in Poland?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.1% in 1970.
- How does Poland rank for share of the population with lower secondary education?
- Poland ranks 48th out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is share of the population with lower secondary education rising or falling in Poland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Poland 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.