Share of the population with completed tertiary education in Germany
Germany: Share of the population with completed tertiary education was 30.4 in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of the population with completed tertiary education in Germany, 1870–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Germany recorded 30.4 for share of the population with completed tertiary education in 2020. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with completed tertiary education in Germany peaked at 30.4 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.3, in 1870.
That places Germany 24th out of 111 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of the population with completed tertiary education in Germany, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 0.3 | — |
| 1875 | 0.3 | +0.0% |
| 1880 | 0.4 | +33.3% |
| 1885 | 0.5 | +25.0% |
| 1890 | 0.6 | +20.0% |
| 1895 | 0.7 | +16.7% |
| 1900 | 0.8 | +14.3% |
| 1905 | 0.9 | +12.5% |
| 1910 | 1 | +11.1% |
| 1915 | 1.1 | +10.0% |
| 1920 | 1.5 | +36.4% |
| 1925 | 1.8 | +20.0% |
| 1930 | 2.1 | +16.7% |
| 1935 | 2.5 | +19.0% |
| 1940 | 2.7 | +8.0% |
| 1945 | 2.9 | +7.4% |
| 1950 | 3.1 | +6.9% |
| 1955 | 3.3 | +6.5% |
| 1960 | 3.4 | +3.0% |
| 1965 | 3.5 | +2.9% |
| 1970 | 3.6 | +2.9% |
| 1975 | 6.9 | +91.7% |
| 1980 | 9.3 | +34.8% |
| 1985 | 11.2 | +20.4% |
| 1990 | 13.9 | +24.1% |
| 1995 | 18.3 | +31.7% |
| 2000 | 22.3 | +21.9% |
| 2005 | 23.2 | +4.0% |
| 2010 | 26.6 | +14.7% |
| 2015 | 24.5 | -7.9% |
| 2020 | 30.4 | +24.1% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 30.4 is below the median for high income countries, which is 30.6, 99% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
- Germany's 30.4 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 30.85, 99% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of the population with completed tertiary education in Germany changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | +91.7% | 3.6 | 6.9 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.45 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.65 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 2 |
| 1900s | 0.85 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 2 |
| 1910s | 1.05 | 1 | 1.1 | 2 |
| 1920s | 1.65 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 2 |
| 1930s | 2.3 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2 |
| 1940s | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 2 |
| 1950s | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 2 |
| 1960s | 3.45 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 2 |
| 1970s | 5.25 | 3.6 | 6.9 | 2 |
| 1980s | 10.25 | 9.3 | 11.2 | 2 |
| 1990s | 16.1 | 13.9 | 18.3 | 2 |
| 2000s | 22.75 | 22.3 | 23.2 | 2 |
| 2010s | 25.55 | 24.5 | 26.6 | 2 |
| 2020s | 30.4 | 30.4 | 30.4 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More education data for Germany
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 98.48 (2022)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 99.73 (2024)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 618,670 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 15,242 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.35 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.27 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.97 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.31 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.83 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population with completed tertiary education in Germany?
- Share of the population with completed tertiary education in Germany was 30.4 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with completed tertiary education recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 30.4 in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of the population with completed tertiary education recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3 in 1870.
- How does Germany rank for share of the population with completed tertiary education?
- Germany ranks 24th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of the population with completed tertiary education rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Germany data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population with completed tertiary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).