Average years of schooling in OECD (AHDI)
OECD (AHDI): Average years of schooling was 12.99 years in 2020. ▲ Rising
Average years of schooling in OECD (AHDI), 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 OECD (AHDI) is 12.99 years, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is up 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average years of schooling in OECD (AHDI) peaked at 12.99 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 3.48 years, in 1870.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Average years of schooling in OECD (AHDI), year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 3.48 years | — |
| 1880 | 4.02 years | +15.6% |
| 1890 | 4.6 years | +14.3% |
| 1900 | 5.13 years | +11.5% |
| 1913 | 5.68 years | +10.7% |
| 1925 | 6.42 years | +13.1% |
| 1929 | 6.69 years | +4.1% |
| 1933 | 6.93 years | +3.7% |
| 1938 | 7.16 years | +3.4% |
| 1950 | 7.74 years | +8.1% |
| 1955 | 8.19 years | +5.8% |
| 1960 | 8.73 years | +6.6% |
| 1965 | 9.24 years | +5.8% |
| 1970 | 9.84 years | +6.5% |
| 1975 | 10.38 years | +5.5% |
| 1980 | 10.88 years | +4.9% |
| 1985 | 11.31 years | +3.9% |
| 1990 | 11.72 years | +3.6% |
| 1995 | 12.09 years | +3.2% |
| 2000 | 12.27 years | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 12.51 years | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 12.74 years | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 12.49 years | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 12.99 years | +4.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 3.48 years | 3.48 years | 3.48 years | 1 |
| 1880s | 4.02 years | 4.02 years | 4.02 years | 1 |
| 1890s | 4.6 years | 4.6 years | 4.6 years | 1 |
| 1900s | 5.13 years | 5.13 years | 5.13 years | 1 |
| 1910s | 5.68 years | 5.68 years | 5.68 years | 1 |
| 1920s | 6.55 years | 6.42 years | 6.69 years | 2 |
| 1930s | 7.05 years | 6.93 years | 7.16 years | 2 |
| 1950s | 7.97 years | 7.74 years | 8.19 years | 2 |
| 1960s | 8.99 years | 8.73 years | 9.24 years | 2 |
| 1970s | 10.11 years | 9.84 years | 10.38 years | 2 |
| 1980s | 11.1 years | 10.88 years | 11.31 years | 2 |
| 1990s | 11.91 years | 11.72 years | 12.09 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 12.39 years | 12.27 years | 12.51 years | 2 |
| 2010s | 12.62 years | 12.49 years | 12.74 years | 2 |
| 2020s | 12.99 years | 12.99 years | 12.99 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near OECD (AHDI)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average years of schooling in OECD (AHDI)?
- Average years of schooling in OECD (AHDI) was 12.99 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 OECD (AHDI)?
- The highest recorded value was 12.99 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest average years of schooling recorded in OECD (AHDI)?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.48 years in 1870.
- How does OECD (AHDI) rank for average years of schooling?
- OECD (AHDI) ranks 1st out of 1 groups with data for 2020.
- Is average years of schooling rising or falling in OECD (AHDI)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this OECD (AHDI) 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.