Mean years of schooling (adults 25+)

193 countries, 2023. Unit: years.

First in the ranking
14.3 yrs
Germany
Median country
9.9 yrs
half above, half below
World
8.8 yrs
UNDP aggregate
Range
1.4 to 14.3
Niger - Germany

How to read it

Across 193 countries worldwide, the highest value is in Germany (14.3 yrs) and the lowest in Niger (1.4 yrs).

The median country is at 9.9 yrs: half are above, half below.

For the world as a whole, the value rose from 6.3 yrs in 1994 to 8.8 yrs in 2023.

Compare selected countries · on the world map

Source: UNDP, Human Development Report · licence

Mean schooling over time

yrs

Add to chart:

Ranking of countries

2023
In chart Continent Share of the highest value
1Germany14.3Europe
2Switzerland13.9Europe
3United States13.9North America
4Iceland13.9Europe
5Canada13.9North America
6Lithuania13.6Europe
7Estonia13.6Europe
8Israel13.5Asia
9United Kingdom13.5Europe
10Latvia13.4Europe
11Palau13.3Oceania
12Poland13.2Europe
13Norway13.1Europe
14Slovakia13.1Europe
15Denmark13.0Europe
16United Arab Emirates13.0Asia
17Finland13.0Europe
18Czechia13.0Europe
19Slovenia13.0Europe
20New Zealand12.9Oceania
21Australia12.9Oceania
22Bahamas12.8North America
23Montenegro12.8Europe
24Sweden12.7Europe
25South Korea12.7Asia
26Georgia12.7Asia
27Belgium12.7Europe
28Japan12.7Asia
29Netherlands12.7Europe
30Luxembourg12.6Europe
31Cyprus12.6Asia
32Kazakhstan12.5Asia
33Malta12.4Europe
34Liechtenstein12.4Europe
35Russia12.4Europe
36Austria12.4Europe
37Hong Kong12.4Asia
38Belarus12.3Europe
39Hungary12.3Europe
40Croatia12.1Europe
41Kyrgyzstan12.1Asia
42Singapore12.0Asia
43Uzbekistan11.9Asia
44Oman11.9Asia
45Moldova11.8Europe
46France11.8Europe
47Ireland11.7Europe
48Antigua and Barbuda11.6North America
49Serbia11.6Europe
50Marshall Islands11.6Oceania
51Andorra11.6Europe
52South Africa11.6Africa
53Saudi Arabia11.6Asia
54Greece11.6Europe
55Romania11.6Europe
56Bulgaria11.5Europe
57San Marino11.4Europe
58Armenia11.3Asia
59Samoa11.3Oceania
60Saint Vincent and the Grenadines11.3North America
61Chile11.3South America
62Tajikistan11.3Asia
63Turkmenistan11.2Asia
64Seychelles11.2Africa
65Argentina11.2South America
66Bahrain11.1Asia
67Ukraine11.1Europe
68Malaysia11.1Asia
69Azerbaijan11.1Asia
70Bosnia and Herzegovina11.0Europe
71Tonga10.9Oceania
72Saint Kitts and Nevis10.8North America
73Iran10.8Asia
74Panama10.8North America
75Italy10.8Europe
76Trinidad and Tobago10.8North America
77Sri Lanka10.8Asia
78Qatar10.8Asia
79Tuvalu10.8Oceania
80Spain10.8Europe
81Cuba10.6North America
82Uruguay10.5South America
83Botswana10.5Africa
84Fiji10.4Oceania
85Lebanon10.4Asia
86Jordan10.2Asia
87North Macedonia10.2Europe
88Albania10.2Europe
89Peru10.2South America
90Egypt10.1Africa
91Palestine10.1Asia
92Dominica10.1North America
93Mauritius10.1Africa
94Bolivia10.0South America
95Philippines10.0Asia
96Jamaica10.0North America
97Nicaragua9.9North America
98Barbados9.9North America
99Portugal9.7Europe
100Gabon9.7Africa
101Venezuela9.7South America
102Nauru9.4Oceania
103Grenada9.4North America
104Dominican Republic9.4North America
105Mongolia9.4Asia
106Mexico9.3North America
107Brunei9.3Asia
108Kiribati9.1Oceania
109Thailand9.0Asia
110Colombia9.0South America
111Türkiye9.0Asia
112Vietnam9.0Asia
113Ecuador9.0South America
114Zimbabwe8.9Africa
115Paraguay8.9South America
116Costa Rica8.8North America
117Belize8.8North America
118Guyana8.7South America
119Indonesia8.7Asia
120Eswatini8.7Africa
121Kenya8.6Africa
122Saint Lucia8.6North America
123Suriname8.4South America
124Brazil8.4South America
125Republic of the Congo8.3Africa
126Equatorial Guinea8.3Africa
127China8.0Asia
128Libya7.8Africa
129Lesotho7.7Africa
130Tunisia7.6Africa
131Nigeria7.6Africa
132Kuwait7.6Asia
133Honduras7.5North America
134Algeria7.4Africa
135Maldives7.4Asia
136Zambia7.4Africa
137Democratic Republic of the Congo7.4Africa
138Federated States of Micronesia7.3Oceania
139El Salvador7.3North America
140Namibia7.3Africa
141Vanuatu7.2Oceania
142Ghana7.1Africa
143India6.9Asia
144Bangladesh6.8Asia
145Iraq6.8Asia
146Cameroon6.6Africa
147Myanmar6.4Asia
148Uganda6.3Africa
149Timor-Leste6.2Asia
150Morocco6.2Africa
151Liberia6.2Africa
152Cabo Verde6.1Africa
153Tanzania6.1Africa
154Laos6.1Asia
155Comoros6.0Africa
156São Tomé and Principe6.0Africa
157Angola6.0Africa
158Syria5.9Asia
159Solomon Islands5.9Oceania
160Togo5.9Africa
161Guatemala5.8North America
162Bhutan5.8Asia
163South Sudan5.7Africa
164Yemen5.5Asia
165Haiti5.4North America
166Malawi5.2Africa
167Cambodia5.2Asia
168Eritrea5.1Africa
169Papua New Guinea5.0Oceania
170Rwanda4.9Africa
171Côte d'Ivoire4.9Africa
172Mauritania4.9Africa
173The Gambia4.7Africa
174Madagascar4.6Africa
175Mozambique4.6Africa
176Nepal4.5Asia
177Pakistan4.3Asia
178Central African Republic4.0Africa
179Sudan4.0Africa
180Djibouti4.0Africa
181Guinea-Bissau3.7Africa
182Sierra Leone3.5Africa
183Burundi3.5Africa
184Benin3.2Africa
185Senegal2.9Africa
186Afghanistan2.5Asia
187Guinea2.5Africa
188Ethiopia2.4Africa
189Chad2.3Africa
190Burkina Faso2.3Africa
191Somalia1.9Africa
192Mali1.6Africa
193Niger1.4Africa
UNDP HDR · 2023 · CC BY 3.0 IGO Source and licence

Biggest changes, 2013-2023

% change · 192 countries

Largest increase

  1. Bhutan 2.6 → 5.8 +125%
  2. Burkina Faso 1.2 → 2.3 +82%
  3. Burundi 2.1 → 3.5 +66%
  4. Mozambique 2.9 → 4.6 +58%
  5. Yemen 3.6 → 5.5 +54%

Largest decrease

  1. Mali 1.9 → 1.6 −15%
  2. Pakistan 5.0 → 4.3 −13%
  3. Niger 1.6 → 1.4 −10%
  4. Mongolia 10.4 → 9.4 −9%
  5. Belize 9.6 → 8.8 −8%

Continents over time

median country of each continent

Mean schooling - continent medians

yrs

Africa Asia Europe North America South America Oceania

3 5 8 10 13 1990 Africa: 2.96 Asia: 5.61 Europe: 9.14 North America: 6.62 South America: 6.35 Oceania: 9.12 1991 Africa: 3.09 Asia: 5.68 Europe: 9.31 North America: 6.71 South America: 6.4 Oceania: 9.3 1992 Africa: 3.22 Asia: 5.74 Europe: 9.49 North America: 6.8 South America: 6.45 Oceania: 9.49 1993 Africa: 3.34 Asia: 5.93 Europe: 9.67 North America: 6.88 South America: 6.5 Oceania: 9.67 1994 Africa: 3.47 Asia: 6.2 Europe: 9.81 North America: 6.97 South America: 6.55 Oceania: 9.86 1995 Africa: 3.56 Asia: 6.82 Europe: 9.96 North America: 7.06 South America: 6.6 Oceania: 10.04 1996 Africa: 3.64 Asia: 7.03 Europe: 10.04 North America: 7.15 South America: 6.83 Oceania: 10.03 1997 Africa: 3.71 Asia: 7.23 Europe: 10.13 North America: 7.23 South America: 7.08 Oceania: 10.03 1998 Africa: 3.79 Asia: 7.44 Europe: 10.25 North America: 7.32 South America: 7.21 Oceania: 10.04 1999 Africa: 3.77 Asia: 7.53 Europe: 10.39 North America: 7.41 South America: 7.26 Oceania: 9.11 2000 Africa: 3.9 Asia: 7.57 Europe: 10.53 North America: 7.56 South America: 7.32 Oceania: 8.27 2001 Africa: 4.02 Asia: 7.81 Europe: 10.67 North America: 7.66 South America: 7.38 Oceania: 8.4 2002 Africa: 4.1 Asia: 7.98 Europe: 10.81 North America: 7.81 South America: 7.43 Oceania: 8.53 2003 Africa: 4.28 Asia: 7.92 Europe: 10.89 North America: 7.92 South America: 7.49 Oceania: 8.66 2004 Africa: 4.43 Asia: 7.95 Europe: 11.01 North America: 8.03 South America: 7.64 Oceania: 8.79 2005 Africa: 4.16 Asia: 7.76 Europe: 11.18 North America: 8.23 South America: 7.61 Oceania: 8.88 2006 Africa: 4.22 Asia: 8.08 Europe: 11.37 North America: 8.52 South America: 7.59 Oceania: 9 2007 Africa: 4.32 Asia: 8.23 Europe: 11.38 North America: 8.86 South America: 7.79 Oceania: 9.12 2008 Africa: 4.61 Asia: 8.47 Europe: 11.45 North America: 8.91 South America: 7.82 Oceania: 9.23 2009 Africa: 4.66 Asia: 8.71 Europe: 11.58 North America: 8.95 South America: 7.84 Oceania: 9.35 2010 Africa: 4.7 Asia: 8.61 Europe: 11.64 North America: 9 South America: 7.92 Oceania: 9.47 2011 Africa: 4.75 Asia: 8.74 Europe: 11.64 North America: 9.04 South America: 7.98 Oceania: 9.69 2012 Africa: 4.84 Asia: 8.97 Europe: 11.73 North America: 9.09 South America: 8.14 Oceania: 9.82 2013 Africa: 4.99 Asia: 9.07 Europe: 11.71 North America: 9.18 South America: 8.36 Oceania: 9.95 2014 Africa: 5.15 Asia: 9.16 Europe: 11.75 North America: 9.24 South America: 8.49 Oceania: 10.08 2015 Africa: 5.38 Asia: 9.4 Europe: 11.88 North America: 9.23 South America: 8.69 Oceania: 10.2 2016 Africa: 5.51 Asia: 9.5 Europe: 12 North America: 9.27 South America: 8.7 Oceania: 10.33 2017 Africa: 5.56 Asia: 9.66 Europe: 12.16 North America: 9.32 South America: 8.8 Oceania: 10.46 2018 Africa: 5.63 Asia: 10.14 Europe: 12.23 North America: 9.48 South America: 8.85 Oceania: 10.49 2019 Africa: 5.73 Asia: 10.15 Europe: 12.28 North America: 9.63 South America: 8.9 Oceania: 10.51 2020 Africa: 5.84 Asia: 10.15 Europe: 12.33 North America: 9.79 South America: 9.18 Oceania: 10.54 2021 Africa: 5.96 Asia: 10.2 Europe: 12.41 North America: 9.93 South America: 9.39 Oceania: 10.57 2022 Africa: 6 Asia: 10.22 Europe: 12.41 North America: 9.93 South America: 9.36 Oceania: 10.57 2023 Africa: 6 Asia: 10.19 Europe: 12.41 North America: 9.93 South America: 9.36 Oceania: 10.57 1990 2000 2005 2010 2015 2023

By continent

median country
Africa 6.0 yrs
Asia 10.2 yrs
Europe 12.4 yrs
North America 9.9 yrs
South America 9.4 yrs
Oceania 10.6 yrs

Tick a country in the table to add it to the chart above, up to six at a time. The ranking uses the latest year for which at least half of the countries have a value; countries without a value that year are not listed.