Ranked: The World’s Most Educated Populations, Across 45 Countries
Update: 2025-10-20
Description
The World’s Most Educated Populations, Across 45 Countries
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Key Takeaways
- Advanced economies such as Canada, Ireland, and South Korea have some of the highest shares of tertiary-educated adults (55–65%).
- Germany is a wealthy economy with relatively fewer university graduates, reflecting its strong apprenticeship system that provides high-skill jobs without degrees.
Which countries have the most educated populations?
Higher levels of tertiary education among a populace generally indicate greater potential for innovation and economic growth, but this isn’t always the case.
In this graphic, we visualize educational attainment by country, breaking things down into three categories: below high-school, high-school or diploma, and college or university degree.
Data & Discussion
This data comes from the OECD’s Education at a Glance 2025 report. It compares educational attainment among working-age adults across 45 countries as of 2024.
| Country | Below high-school (%) | High-school or diploma (%) | College or university degree (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
 Canada | 6.4 | 28.9 | 64.7 |
 Ireland | 10.7 | 31.7 | 57.5 |
 South Korea | 6.5 | 37.3 | 56.2 |
 Luxembourg | 17.6 | 28.0 | 54.4 |
 UK | 17.1 | 29.0 | 53.8 |
 Australia | 13.0 | 33.9 | 53.1 |
 Sweden | 11.7 | 36.5 | 51.8 |
 U.S. | 8.0 | 41.3 | 50.7 |
 Israel | 12.3 | 37.2 | 50.5 |
 Norway | 17.1 | 32.5 | 50.4 |
 Lithuania | 7.0 | 45.3 | 47.7 |
 Switzerland | 13.8 | 39.7 | 46.5 |
 Denmark | 16.2 | 38.7 | 45.1 |
 Netherlands | 18.3 | 36.6 | 45.1 |
 Belgium | 17.2 | 37.8 | 45.0 |
 Iceland | 20.4 | 35.1 | 44.5 |
 New Zealand | 16.9 | 39.2 | 44.0 |
 France | 16.1 | 40.6 | 43.4 |
 Finland | 10.9 | 46.4 | 42.7 |
 Estonia | 9.5 | 47.9 | 42.5 |
 Spain | 34.7 | 23.0 | 42.3 |
 Latvia | 10.7 | 48.9 | 40.5 |
 Poland | 5.2 | 55.4 |
