Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) by country

The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed short-cycle tertiary education.

Countries reporting
129
Highest
64.1%
Russia
Lowest
1.3%
Niger
Median
22.5%
Years covered
56
1970–2025
Data points
2,142

What the numbers show

Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) is currently reported for 129 countries. The highest value is 64.1% in Russia; the lowest is 1.3% in Niger.

The median across all reporting countries is 22.5%, and the mean is 24.5%.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 51.

Over the past decade 112 countries rose and 14 fell. The largest increase was in East Timor (up 617.9%), and the largest decrease in Fiji (down 58.0%).

Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary, popul: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Russia 64.1% 2021 up 6.6% flat
2 Uzbekistan 61.5% 2022 up 18.5% rising
3 United Arab Emirates 55.7% 2024 up 59.7% rising
4 Singapore 53.2% 2024 up 25.3% rising
5 Ireland 51.2% 2023 up 37.8% rising
6 United States 49.8% 2024 up 19.0% rising
7 South Korea 49.6% 2024 up 17.1% rising
8 Canada 49.3% 2021 up 3.4% rising
9 United Kingdom 48.7% 2021 up 47.2% rising
10 Ukraine 47.8% 2021 rising
11 Australia 47.5% 2024 up 20.1% rising
12 Luxembourg 46.4% 2023 up 19.2% rising
13 Armenia 46.4% 2022 down 3.6% falling
14 Sweden 45.2% 2023 up 48.2% rising
15 Cyprus 43.9% 2023 up 28.2% rising
16 Norway 43.3% 2023 up 15.6% rising
17 Saudi Arabia 43.0% 2024 up 73.2% rising
18 Switzerland 41.6% 2024 up 16.9% rising
19 Lithuania 41.3% 2023 up 38.2% rising
20 Bermuda 40.8% 2016 up 9.2% rising
21 Iceland 40.1% 2023 up 20.7% rising
22 Estonia 39.9% 2023 up 7.6% rising
23 Bahrain 39.8% 2024 up 106.7% rising
24 Netherlands 38.9% 2023 up 30.1% rising
25 Finland 38.9% 2023 up 15.4% rising
26 Seychelles 38.8% 2020 up 8.0% rising
27 Puerto Rico 38.6% 2020 up 23.9% rising
28 Israel 38.3% 2023 down 15.7% rising
29 Denmark 38.3% 2023 up 16.1% rising
30 Cayman Islands 38.2% 2015 up 55.8% rising
31 Belgium 37.9% 2023 up 24.3% rising
32 Andorra 37.6% 2022 up 15.1% rising
33 France 37.2% 2023 up 36.9% rising
34 New Zealand 36.6% 2020 down 0.6% rising
35 Latvia 36.4% 2023 up 24.3% rising
36 Moldova 36.2% 2024 up 7.9% rising
37 Spain 35.4% 2024 up 22.2% rising
38 Slovenia 34.7% 2022 up 46.4% rising
39 Georgia 33.7% 2024 up 9.1% rising
40 Poland 33.3% 2024 up 39.5% rising
41 Mongolia 31.2% 2023 up 17.5% rising
42 Bolivia 30.7% 2023 up 27.7% rising
43 Germany 30.2% 2022 up 18.1% rising
44 Venezuela 30.2% 2017 up 116.4% rising
45 Greece 29.6% 2024 up 28.7% rising
46 Malta 29.5% 2023 up 82.7% rising
47 Azerbaijan 27.7% 2023 up 9.0% rising
48 Hungary 27.4% 2023 up 27.7% rising
49 Colombia 27.2% 2024 up 37.8% rising
50 Bulgaria 26.4% 2023 up 2.8% rising
51 Croatia 25.6% 2023 up 38.5% rising
52 Serbia 25.4% 2024 up 34.1% rising
53 Slovakia 25.4% 2023 up 42.2% rising
54 Hong Kong 25.3% 2024 up 23.1% rising
55 Portugal 25.1% 2024 up 43.8% rising
56 Philippines 24.8% 2022 down 6.6% rising
57 Macao 23.9% 2016 up 89.7% rising
58 Montenegro 23.7% 2020 up 20.9% rising
59 Brunei 23.4% 2023 up 10.0% rising
60 Malaysia 23.3% 2022 up 23.9% rising
61 Tajikistan 22.9% 2017 up 87.9% rising
62 Palestine 22.8% 2024 up 0.2% rising
63 Brazil 22.7% 2024 up 72.3% rising
64 East Timor 22.7% 2022 up 617.9% volatile
65 North Macedonia 22.5% 2024 up 32.4% rising
66 Iran 22.5% 2023 up 5.4% rising
67 Chile 22.3% 2024 up 46.2% rising
68 Czechia 22.0% 2023 up 20.6% rising
69 Jordan 22.0% 2023 up 36.1% rising
70 Turkey 21.9% 2023 up 46.9% rising
71 Tonga 21.7% 2023 up 248.0% volatile
72 Samoa 21.5% 2022 up 200.4% volatile
73 Austria 21.3% 2023 up 14.7% rising
74 Albania 20.4% 2023 up 58.3% rising
75 Costa Rica 20.4% 2024 down 13.1% rising
76 Mexico 19.7% 2025 up 21.3% rising
77 Argentina 19.6% 2022 rising
78 Trinidad and Tobago 19.2% 2023 up 39.9% rising
79 Kuwait 18.5% 2018 up 40.5% rising
80 Grenada 18.5% 2023 up 52.0% rising
81 Egypt 18.1% 2023 up 29.2% rising
82 Italy 17.7% 2023 up 33.2% rising
83 Zimbabwe 17.4% 2023 up 412.3% volatile
84 South Africa 17.3% 2024 up 142.2% volatile
85 Belize 17.1% 2022 up 8.2% rising
86 Thailand 16.7% 2024 up 18.8% rising
87 Paraguay 15.9% 2020 up 45.9% rising
88 Romania 15.3% 2023 up 13.1% rising
89 Jamaica 15.2% 2023 down 3.8% rising
90 Tunisia 15.0% 2023 up 15.0% rising
91 Panama 15.0% 2024 up 0.8% rising
92 Ecuador 15.0% 2024 down 5.1% rising
93 Peru 14.9% 2024 down 32.1% rising
94 Vietnam 14.8% 2023 up 62.9% rising
95 Uruguay 13.5% 2024 up 11.0% rising
96 Bosnia and Herzegovina 12.8% 2023 up 70.4% rising
97 Mauritius 12.5% 2022 up 21.7% volatile
98 Dominican Republic 12.4% 2015 up 29.6% rising
99 India 12.4% 2021 up 25.0% rising
100 Namibia 11.9% 2023 up 64.4% rising
101 Indonesia 11.7% 2023 up 33.7% volatile
102 Zambia 10.1% 2023 up 85.5% volatile
103 Uganda 9.5% 2021 up 45.1% rising
104 Myanmar 9.4% 2019 up 2.5% volatile
105 Ghana 9.1% 2022 up 26.1% rising
106 Nigeria 9.1% 2023 down 35.2% falling
107 Pakistan 8.6% 2021 up 60.8% rising
108 El Salvador 8.5% 2023 down 16.4% rising
109 Bangladesh 8.1% 2023 up 40.8% rising
110 Honduras 7.9% 2024 down 19.2% rising
111 Democratic Republic of Congo 7.1% 2020 down 10.4% volatile
112 Rwanda 6.5% 2024 up 95.6% rising
113 Togo 6.4% 2022 up 312.8% volatile
114 Cambodia 6.4% 2023 up 16.1% volatile
115 Ethiopia 6.3% 2021 up 475.4% volatile
116 Syria 6.2% 2009 up 17.9% rising
117 Sri Lanka 5.5% 2024 up 55.4% rising
118 Kenya 5.5% 2022 up 153.4% volatile
119 Senegal 5.2% 2022 up 74.9% rising
120 Fiji 5.2% 2017 down 58.0% volatile
121 Benin 5.0% 2022 up 130.2% volatile
122 Guatemala 4.2% 2023 up 45.4% rising
123 Mali 3.9% 2022 up 100.2% rising
124 Burundi 3.1% 2020 up 2.8% volatile
125 Burkina Faso 3.0% 2024 rising
126 Mozambique 2.7% 2022 up 38.9% rising
127 Malawi 2.0% 2020 up 96.2% volatile
128 Tanzania 1.3% 2014 up 43.9% volatile
129 Niger 1.3% 2022 down 26.5% rising

About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)
Unit
cumulative
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
129 places, 2,142 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed short-cycle tertiary education.