Average years of schooling in Germany
Germany: Average years of schooling was 14.09 years in 2020. ▲ Rising
Average years of schooling in Germany, 1870–2020
Source: Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for average years of schooling in Germany is 14.09 years, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is up 8.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average years of schooling in Germany peaked at 14.09 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 5.44 years, in 1870.
That places Germany 1st out of 162 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Average years of schooling in Germany, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 5.44 years | — |
| 1880 | 5.7 years | +4.8% |
| 1890 | 6.1 years | +7.0% |
| 1900 | 6.47 years | +6.1% |
| 1913 | 6.99 years | +8.0% |
| 1925 | 7.38 years | +5.6% |
| 1929 | 7.73 years | +4.8% |
| 1933 | 7.99 years | +3.4% |
| 1938 | 8.25 years | +3.3% |
| 1950 | 8.53 years | +3.4% |
| 1955 | 9.05 years | +6.1% |
| 1960 | 9.68 years | +6.9% |
| 1965 | 10.42 years | +7.7% |
| 1970 | 11.06 years | +6.1% |
| 1975 | 11.76 years | +6.3% |
| 1980 | 12.35 years | +5.0% |
| 1985 | 12.7 years | +2.8% |
| 1990 | 13.05 years | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 13.07 years | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 12.89 years | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 12.94 years | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 12.98 years | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 13.19 years | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 14.09 years | +6.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 5.44 years | 5.44 years | 5.44 years | 1 |
| 1880s | 5.7 years | 5.7 years | 5.7 years | 1 |
| 1890s | 6.1 years | 6.1 years | 6.1 years | 1 |
| 1900s | 6.47 years | 6.47 years | 6.47 years | 1 |
| 1910s | 6.99 years | 6.99 years | 6.99 years | 1 |
| 1920s | 7.55 years | 7.38 years | 7.73 years | 2 |
| 1930s | 8.12 years | 7.99 years | 8.25 years | 2 |
| 1950s | 8.79 years | 8.53 years | 9.05 years | 2 |
| 1960s | 10.05 years | 9.68 years | 10.42 years | 2 |
| 1970s | 11.41 years | 11.06 years | 11.76 years | 2 |
| 1980s | 12.52 years | 12.35 years | 12.7 years | 2 |
| 1990s | 13.06 years | 13.05 years | 13.07 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 12.91 years | 12.89 years | 12.94 years | 2 |
| 2010s | 13.08 years | 12.98 years | 13.19 years | 2 |
| 2020s | 14.09 years | 14.09 years | 14.09 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More education data for Germany
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.62 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 3.07 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), per capita 0.0194 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 2.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), per capita 0.0202 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.97 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.6093 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 283,851 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 3.29 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average years of schooling in Germany?
- Average years of schooling in Germany was 14.09 years in 2020, according to Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average years of schooling recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 14.09 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest average years of schooling recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.44 years in 1870.
- How does Germany rank for average years of schooling?
- Germany ranks 1st out of 162 countries with data for 2020.
- Is average years of schooling rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Germany data come from?
- The figures come from Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average years of schooling. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average number of years of total schooling (primary, secondary, and tertiary) for the population aged 15 and over.