Average years of schooling among adults in Germany
Germany: Average years of schooling among adults was 14.3 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Average years of schooling among adults in Germany, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for average years of schooling among adults in Germany is 14.3 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average years of schooling among adults in Germany peaked at 14.3 years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 10.36 years, in 1990.
Germany ranks 1st of 192 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.3 years | 10.36 years | 12.22 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.41 years | 12.42 years | 13.83 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.04 years | 13.85 years | 14.17 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.29 years | 14.26 years | 14.3 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Germany
- 2 Switzerland 13.95 years compare
- 3 United States 13.91 years compare
- 4 Iceland 13.91 years compare
More education data for Germany
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 62.4% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 13.9% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 10 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 102.6% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 283,851 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 1.45 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 103.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average years of schooling among adults in Germany?
- Average years of schooling among adults in Germany was 14.3 years in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average years of schooling among adults recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 14.3 years in 2021.
- What is the lowest average years of schooling among adults recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.36 years in 1990.
- How does Germany rank for average years of schooling among adults?
- Germany ranks 1st out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average years of schooling among adults rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Germany data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average years of schooling among adults. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Average number of years (excluding years spent repeating individual grades) adults over 25 years participated in formal education.