Share of the population with tertiary education in Hong Kong
Hong Kong: Share of the population with tertiary education was 25.3% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of the population with tertiary education in Hong Kong, 1870–2020
Source: Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of the population with tertiary education in Hong Kong is 25.3%, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
The figure is up 29.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with tertiary education in Hong Kong peaked at 25.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1870.
That places Hong Kong 32nd 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 the population with tertiary education in Hong Kong, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 0.0% | — |
| 1875 | 0.0% | — |
| 1880 | 0.0% | — |
| 1885 | 0.0% | — |
| 1890 | 0.0% | — |
| 1895 | 0.0% | — |
| 1900 | 0.0% | — |
| 1905 | 0.0% | — |
| 1910 | 0.0% | — |
| 1915 | 0.5% | — |
| 1920 | 1.0% | +100.0% |
| 1925 | 1.4% | +40.0% |
| 1930 | 2.1% | +50.0% |
| 1935 | 2.6% | +23.8% |
| 1940 | 3.3% | +26.9% |
| 1945 | 3.9% | +18.2% |
| 1950 | 4.2% | +7.7% |
| 1955 | 4.3% | +2.4% |
| 1960 | 4.8% | +11.6% |
| 1965 | 5.1% | +6.2% |
| 1970 | 3.2% | -37.3% |
| 1975 | 4.0% | +25.0% |
| 1980 | 7.8% | +95.0% |
| 1985 | 8.3% | +6.4% |
| 1990 | 11.8% | +42.2% |
| 1995 | 13.8% | +16.9% |
| 2000 | 16.8% | +21.7% |
| 2005 | 25.1% | +49.4% |
| 2010 | 19.5% | -22.3% |
| 2015 | 22.9% | +17.4% |
| 2020 | 25.3% | +10.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1900s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1910s | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.5% | 2 |
| 1920s | 1.2% | 1.0% | 1.4% | 2 |
| 1930s | 2.4% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 2 |
| 1940s | 3.6% | 3.3% | 3.9% | 2 |
| 1950s | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.3% | 2 |
| 1960s | 4.9% | 4.8% | 5.1% | 2 |
| 1970s | 3.6% | 3.2% | 4.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 8.1% | 7.8% | 8.3% | 2 |
| 1990s | 12.8% | 11.8% | 13.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 21.0% | 16.8% | 25.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 21.2% | 19.5% | 22.9% | 2 |
| 2020s | 25.3% | 25.3% | 25.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Hong Kong
More education data for Hong Kong
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 149,968 (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.95 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 162,269 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 6,765 (2024)
- Theoretical duration of lower secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 28,284 (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 340,877 (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 2.16 % change on previous year (2024)
- Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population with tertiary education in Hong Kong?
- Share of the population with tertiary education in Hong Kong was 25.3% 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 the population with tertiary education recorded in Hong Kong?
- The highest recorded value was 25.3% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of the population with tertiary education recorded in Hong Kong?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1870.
- How does Hong Kong rank for share of the population with tertiary education?
- Hong Kong ranks 32nd out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of the population with tertiary education rising or falling in Hong Kong?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Hong Kong 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 the population with tertiary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of the population aged 25 to 65 years who have either completed or partially completed tertiary education.