Distribution of population aged 18 and over by educational attainment level and age group by country
Countries reporting
37
Highest
38.6
Albania
Lowest
6.5
Poland
Median
16.2
Years covered
23
2003–2025
Data points
820
What the numbers show
Distribution of population aged 18 and over by educational attainment level and age group is currently reported for 37 countries. The highest value is 38.6 in Albania; the lowest is 6.5 in Poland.
The median across all reporting countries is 16.2, and the mean is 17.17.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 6.
Over the past decade 4 countries rose and 33 fell. The largest increase was in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (up 52.7%), and the largest decrease in Luxembourg (down 51.4%).
Distribution of population aged 18 and over by educational attainment: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albania | 38.6 | 2023 | down 12.7% | falling |
| 2 | Portugal | 35.2 | 2025 | down 36.7% | falling |
| 3 | Malta | 33.9 | 2025 | down 35.4% | falling |
| 4 | Italy | 30.7 | 2025 | down 15.7% | falling |
| 5 | Spain | 30.4 | 2025 | down 26.2% | falling |
| 6 | Euro area (EA11-1999, EA12-2001, EA13-2007, EA15-2008, EA16-2009, EA17-2011, EA18-2014, EA19-2015, EA20-2023, EA21-2026) | 22.6 | 2021 | down 20.7% | falling |
| 7 | North Macedonia | 22.1 | 2024 | down 29.6% | falling |
| 8 | Iceland | 21.4 | 2020 | down 30.7% | falling |
| 9 | European Union (EU6-1958, EU9-1973, EU10-1981, EU12-1986, EU15-1995, EU25-2004, EU27-2007, EU28-2013, EU27-2020) | 21.3 | 2019 | down 11.2% | falling |
| 10 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 20 | 2018 | up 52.7% | rising |
| 11 | Romania | 19.1 | 2025 | down 45.0% | falling |
| 12 | Norway | 18.9 | 2025 | down 21.2% | rising |
| 13 | Germany | 17.9 | 2025 | up 12.6% | flat |
| 14 | Greece | 17.4 | 2025 | down 30.1% | falling |
| 15 | France | 17.2 | 2025 | down 1.7% | falling |
| 16 | Bulgaria | 16.9 | 2025 | down 25.2% | falling |
| 17 | Sweden | 16.5 | 2025 | up 1.2% | rising |
| 17 | Netherlands | 16.5 | 2025 | down 19.1% | falling |
| 19 | Luxembourg | 16.2 | 2025 | down 51.4% | falling |
| 20 | Serbia | 14.3 | 2025 | down 31.2% | falling |
| 21 | Hungary | 14.2 | 2025 | down 11.2% | falling |
| 22 | Belgium | 14.1 | 2025 | down 28.8% | falling |
| 23 | Denmark | 13.8 | 2025 | down 27.7% | falling |
| 24 | Switzerland | 12.9 | 2024 | down 12.2% | falling |
| 25 | Austria | 12.7 | 2025 | down 20.6% | falling |
| 26 | Estonia | 12.4 | 2025 | down 15.6% | falling |
| 27 | Montenegro | 12.2 | 2023 | down 11.6% | falling |
| 28 | Cyprus | 12 | 2025 | down 40.3% | falling |
| 29 | Ireland | 11.5 | 2025 | down 44.7% | falling |
| 30 | Latvia | 10.6 | 2025 | down 19.7% | falling |
| 31 | Slovenia | 10.4 | 2025 | down 28.8% | falling |
| 32 | Finland | 10.3 | 2025 | down 34.4% | falling |
| 33 | Croatia | 10.1 | 2025 | down 44.5% | falling |
| 34 | Slovakia | 8.5 | 2025 | up 9.0% | falling |
| 35 | Lithuania | 8.1 | 2025 | down 15.6% | falling |
| 36 | Czechia | 8 | 2025 | down 12.1% | falling |
| 37 | Poland | 6.5 | 2025 | down 41.4% | falling |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.