Share of the population with completed tertiary education by country
Countries reporting
111
Highest
69.8
Russian Federation
Lowest
0.2
Malawi
Median
14.8
Years covered
151
1870–2020
Data points
3,441
What the numbers show
Share of the population with completed tertiary education is currently reported for 111 countries. The highest value is 69.8 in Russian Federation; the lowest is 0.2 in Malawi.
The median across all reporting countries is 14.8, and the mean is 17.71.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 349.
Over the past decade 62 countries rose and 47 fell. The largest increase was in Guyana (up 300.0%), and the largest decrease in Malawi (down 50.0%).
Share of the population with completed tertiary education: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russian Federation | 69.8 | 2020 | up 3.9% | volatile |
| 2 | United States | 60.9 | 2020 | up 1.0% | volatile |
| 3 | Korea | 58.3 | 2020 | up 28.1% | volatile |
| 4 | Taiwan Province of China | 51.9 | 2020 | up 31.4% | volatile |
| 5 | Iceland | 51.4 | 2020 | up 59.6% | volatile |
| 6 | Canada | 51.3 | 2020 | down 1.7% | volatile |
| 7 | Ireland | 50.3 | 2020 | up 1.8% | volatile |
| 8 | Japan | 47.2 | 2020 | up 15.1% | volatile |
| 9 | New Zealand | 39.8 | 2020 | down 1.5% | volatile |
| 10 | Cyprus | 38.7 | 2020 | up 9.3% | volatile |
| 11 | Belgium | 34.5 | 2020 | down 0.9% | volatile |
| 12 | Switzerland | 33 | 2020 | down 11.5% | volatile |
| 12 | Greece | 33 | 2020 | down 0.9% | volatile |
| 14 | Libya | 32.4 | 2020 | up 67.0% | volatile |
| 15 | France | 31.9 | 2020 | up 10.4% | volatile |
| 16 | Norway | 31.8 | 2020 | down 3.3% | volatile |
| 17 | Luxembourg | 31.5 | 2020 | down 11.0% | volatile |
| 18 | Spain | 31.3 | 2020 | up 2.6% | volatile |
| 19 | Finland | 31.2 | 2020 | down 13.6% | volatile |
| 20 | United Kingdom | 31.1 | 2020 | up 2.6% | volatile |
| 21 | Netherlands | 30.9 | 2020 | down 4.6% | volatile |
| 22 | Denmark | 30.8 | 2020 | down 6.4% | volatile |
| 23 | Sweden | 30.6 | 2020 | down 4.4% | volatile |
| 24 | Germany | 30.4 | 2020 | up 14.3% | volatile |
| 25 | Australia | 30.2 | 2020 | down 20.3% | volatile |
| 26 | Philippines | 29.7 | 2020 | up 16.9% | volatile |
| 27 | Cuba | 29.5 | 2020 | up 116.9% | volatile |
| 28 | Bolivia | 29.2 | 2020 | up 19.2% | volatile |
| 29 | Panama | 27.7 | 2020 | up 5.7% | volatile |
| 30 | Malaysia | 26.5 | 2020 | up 50.6% | volatile |
| 31 | Colombia | 26.4 | 2020 | up 20.0% | volatile |
| 32 | Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China | 25.3 | 2020 | up 29.7% | volatile |
| 33 | Poland | 24.9 | 2020 | up 4.6% | volatile |
| 34 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 24.4 | 2020 | up 28.4% | volatile |
| 35 | Bulgaria | 23.9 | 2020 | down 9.1% | volatile |
| 36 | Hungary | 23 | 2020 | up 8.5% | volatile |
| 37 | Mexico | 22.9 | 2020 | up 18.7% | volatile |
| 38 | Serbia, Republic of | 20.6 | 2020 | up 14.4% | volatile |
| 39 | Iraq | 20.4 | 2020 | up 34.2% | volatile |
| 40 | Tunisia | 20.2 | 2020 | up 43.3% | volatile |
| 41 | Peru | 19.9 | 2020 | down 11.6% | volatile |
| 42 | Costa Rica | 19.5 | 2020 | down 6.2% | volatile |
| 43 | Jordan | 19.1 | 2020 | up 15.1% | volatile |
| 44 | Malta | 18.9 | 2020 | up 28.6% | volatile |
| 45 | Czechia | 18.4 | 2020 | up 1.1% | volatile |
| 45 | Jamaica | 18.4 | 2020 | up 15.0% | volatile |
| 47 | Chile | 17.3 | 2020 | down 16.0% | volatile |
| 47 | Algeria | 17.3 | 2020 | up 58.7% | volatile |
| 49 | Thailand | 17.2 | 2020 | up 21.1% | volatile |
| 50 | Portugal | 16.1 | 2020 | up 5.2% | volatile |
| 51 | Austria | 15.9 | 2020 | down 17.6% | volatile |
| 51 | Italy | 15.9 | 2020 | up 8.9% | volatile |
| 53 | Sri Lanka | 15.7 | 2020 | down 1.3% | volatile |
| 54 | Egypt, Arab Republic of | 15 | 2020 | up 38.9% | volatile |
| 55 | Venezuela, República Bolivariana de | 14.9 | 2020 | down 12.9% | volatile |
| 56 | Fiji, Republic of | 14.8 | 2020 | up 7.2% | volatile |
| 57 | Dominican Republic | 14.7 | 2020 | down 10.4% | volatile |
| 57 | Romania | 14.7 | 2020 | up 6.5% | volatile |
| 59 | Nicaragua | 14.3 | 2020 | up 21.2% | volatile |
| 60 | Myanmar | 13.9 | 2020 | up 71.6% | volatile |
| 61 | Argentina | 13.8 | 2020 | up 12.2% | volatile |
| 62 | Morocco | 12.7 | 2020 | up 23.3% | volatile |
| 63 | Trinidad and Tobago | 12 | 2020 | up 17.6% | volatile |
| 64 | Brazil | 11.2 | 2020 | down 7.4% | volatile |
| 65 | Liberia | 11.1 | 2020 | up 94.7% | volatile |
| 66 | Paraguay | 10.8 | 2020 | down 6.1% | volatile |
| 66 | Türkiye | 10.8 | 2020 | down 8.5% | volatile |
| 68 | Ecuador | 10.7 | 2020 | down 18.9% | volatile |
| 69 | China, People's Republic of | 8.7 | 2020 | up 123.1% | volatile |
| 70 | Kenya | 8.4 | 2020 | down 3.4% | volatile |
| 71 | Indonesia | 8.1 | 2020 | down 1.2% | volatile |
| 72 | Afghanistan, Islamic Republic of | 8 | 2020 | down 9.1% | volatile |
| 73 | India | 7.9 | 2020 | down 17.7% | volatile |
| 74 | Uruguay | 7.7 | 2020 | down 26.0% | volatile |
| 75 | Barbados | 7.5 | 2020 | up 226.1% | volatile |
| 76 | Mauritius | 6.6 | 2020 | up 11.9% | volatile |
| 76 | Sudan | 6.6 | 2020 | up 120.0% | volatile |
| 78 | Kuwait | 6.3 | 2020 | down 25.9% | volatile |
| 78 | El Salvador | 6.3 | 2020 | down 13.7% | volatile |
| 80 | Benin | 6.1 | 2020 | up 84.8% | volatile |
| 81 | Pakistan | 5.9 | 2020 | down 14.5% | volatile |
| 82 | South Africa | 5.4 | 2020 | down 14.3% | volatile |
| 83 | Belize | 5 | 2020 | down 13.8% | volatile |
| 84 | Côte d'Ivoire | 4.7 | 2020 | down 13.0% | volatile |
| 84 | Cameroon | 4.7 | 2020 | up 74.1% | volatile |
| 86 | Syrian Arab Republic | 4.3 | 2020 | down 32.8% | volatile |
| 87 | Ghana | 4 | 2020 | up 17.6% | volatile |
| 87 | Réunion | 4 | 2020 | up 90.5% | volatile |
| 89 | Honduras | 3.9 | 2020 | down 29.1% | volatile |
| 90 | Yemen, Republic of | 3.8 | 2020 | up 40.7% | volatile |
| 91 | Senegal | 3.7 | 2020 | up 12.1% | volatile |
| 92 | Togo | 3.6 | 2020 | up 16.1% | volatile |
| 93 | Bangladesh | 3.5 | 2020 | down 25.5% | volatile |
| 94 | Sierra Leone | 3.3 | 2020 | up 135.7% | volatile |
| 95 | Cambodia | 2.8 | 2020 | up 21.7% | volatile |
| 95 | Nepal | 2.8 | 2020 | down 20.0% | volatile |
| 97 | Eswatini, Kingdom of | 2.7 | 2020 | up 92.9% | volatile |
| 98 | Uganda | 2.3 | 2020 | down 23.3% | volatile |
| 99 | Albania | 2 | 2020 | up 5.3% | volatile |
| 100 | Mali | 1.6 | 2020 | down 20.0% | volatile |
| 101 | Niger | 1.4 | 2020 | up 16.7% | volatile |
| 102 | Gambia, The | 1.3 | 2020 | down 31.6% | volatile |
| 103 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 1.2 | 2020 | down 7.7% | volatile |
| 103 | Guyana | 1.2 | 2020 | up 300.0% | volatile |
| 103 | Haiti | 1.2 | 2020 | up 20.0% | volatile |
| 106 | Lesotho, Kingdom of | 1.1 | 2020 | down 47.6% | volatile |
| 107 | Zambia | 1 | 2020 | down 33.3% | volatile |
| 108 | Zimbabwe | 0.7 | 2020 | down 36.4% | volatile |
| 109 | Mozambique, Republic of | 0.5 | 2020 | unchanged | volatile |
| 110 | Guatemala | 0.4 | 2020 | — | volatile |
| 111 | Malawi | 0.2 | 2020 | down 50.0% | volatile |