Table 424.

Number of bachelor's degree recipients per 100 persons at the typical age of graduation, by sex and country: 2003 through 2008

Country	Typical age of graduation, 2008	Total						Male						Female
		2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
OECD average1	—	—	33.9	34.7	36.2	37.5	39.1	—	27.6	27.5	28.7	30.0	31.0	—	40.5	42.3	44.0	45.3	47.5
Australia	21-23	54.8	46.9	59.9	59.6	60.7	58.9	46.7	37.4	47.9	47.4	48.6	47.0	63.4	57.0	72.5	72.5	73.4	71.4
Austria	22-26	19.0	19.6	20.4	21.7	22.4	25.8	18.7	19.0	19.0	20.4	20.8	22.7	19.4	20.3	21.8	22.9	24.0	29.1
Belgium (Flemish)	22-24	—	18.3	18.4	19.0	35.4	27.0	—	17.5	17.0	17.9	32.6	24.4	—	19.0	19.8	20.2	38.2	29.6
Canada	22-24	—	31.5	33.6	39.3	35.2	39.5	—	24.3	25.2	29.5	26.5	29.1	—	39.1	42.2	49.7	44.3	50.6
Chile	23-26	—	25.1	11.5	15.0	14.5	14.7	—	22.9	9.7	13.0	11.9	11.7	—	27.5	13.4	17.0	17.3	17.8
Czech Republic	22-24	17.3	21.0	26.0	30.7	36.4	39.2	15.9	18.8	22.6	26.5	31.0	32.2	18.8	23.4	29.5	35.2	42.1	46.6
Denmark	24-26	38.6	49.9	52.9	50.3	50.9	50.3	25.1	35.6	37.2	37.0	38.3	38.3	52.3	64.4	69.2	63.7	63.9	62.6
Estonia	22-24	—	—	28.5	26.4	27.3	23.8	—	—	17.6	15.4	17.6	14.9	—	—	39.5	37.8	37.3	32.8
Finland2	24-26	55.8	54.7	53.8	57.3	58.8	79.8	40.4	39.5	38.8	40.6	41.3	55.3	72.2	70.5	69.7	74.5	77.4	105.6
France	20-25	41.5	40.0	—	34.2	33.8	33.9	34.9	33.4	—	30.6	30.2	30.3	48.4	46.9	—	37.9	37.5	37.6
Germany	24-27	19.5	20.6	20.5	21.0	23.2	25.5	19.3	20.3	20.0	20.0	22.0	24.0	19.7	20.9	21.1	22.0	24.4	27.0
Greece	22-27	—	19.1	23.9	23.5	21.7	26.6	—	13.3	16.3	16.1	14.7	18.3	—	25.4	32.2	31.7	29.4	35.5
Hungary	23-24	33.6	37.3	41.5	38.2	38.8	37.6	24.6	26.6	29.0	26.1	26.2	25.2	43.2	48.4	54.5	51.0	51.8	50.4
Iceland	24-26	44.2	50.5	56.3	62.8	62.8	55.9	29.4	31.4	33.6	37.7	38.0	34.1	59.1	70.3	80.5	89.6	88.0	78.9
Ireland	21-23	36.8	38.6	40.7	42.8	44.8	46.0	29.7	31.9	33.3	33.4	36.4	36.9	44.0	45.3	48.0	52.5	53.4	55.2
Israel	26-29	—	32.3	32.9	33.4	36.1	36.3	—	25.3	25.7	26.8	29.1	29.6	—	39.6	40.2	40.3	43.1	43.1
Italy	23-25	27.8	40.1	44.8	42.7	38.7	35.8	24.0	33.3	37.3	35.1	31.6	29.5	31.6	47.2	52.7	50.6	46.1	42.3
Japan	21-23	34.4	36.3	36.9	38.7	38.8	40.6	40.1	41.4	41.3	42.8	42.9	44.9	28.5	31.0	32.2	34.3	34.4	36.0
Korea, Republic of	22-24	31.7	32.3	35.5	41.0	42.9	48.7	32.1	31.5	34.8	40.2	42.7	49.0	31.2	33.2	36.2	41.7	43.2	48.5
Mexico	23-26	14.3	13.8	15.2	18.1	18.2	17.8	13.3	13.1	14.5	16.7	16.8	16.2	15.3	14.4	15.9	19.5	19.7	19.3
Netherlands	23	42.5	42.9	47.2	49.2	47.8	46.0	36.4	37.2	40.2	42.9	41.7	39.8	48.7	48.6	54.3	55.7	54.1	52.3
New Zealand	21-23	39.0	47.6	49.0	53.5	53.8	50.0	29.1	34.9	36.6	40.6	41.6	37.6	49.1	61.0	62.0	67.0	66.0	63.0
Norway	22-25	42.0	43.3	42.1	45.1	45.0	46.1	30.0	31.5	28.8	31.9	31.8	33.9	54.2	55.3	55.8	58.8	58.7	58.8
Poland	23-25	—	44.4	45.0	44.8	46.6	48.2	—	32.6	32.8	32.9	34.4	35.0	—	56.6	57.6	57.1	59.2	61.9
Portugal	22-24	—	32.9	33.7	34.9	46.0	50.4	—	20.4	21.7	22.7	35.0	40.3	—	45.6	46.0	47.4	57.4	60.9
Slovak Republic	21-24	—	28.3	30.1	33.7	37.9	57.6	—	24.4	25.6	26.0	26.8	38.7	—	32.4	34.8	41.8	49.6	77.3
Slovenia	25-26	—	—	21.6	21.6	21.1	22.6	—	—	14.3	14.2	13.9	14.4	—	—	29.4	29.3	29.0	31.7
Spain	20-22	32.0	35.2	35.0	35.3	34.7	35.5	25.5	27.5	27.1	27.1	26.6	27.3	38.9	43.2	43.3	43.8	43.3	44.2
Sweden	25	38.4	39.9	44.0	43.3	42.2	40.9	28.6	29.7	30.8	29.8	29.1	27.9	48.5	50.5	57.6	57.2	55.8	54.7
Switzerland	24-27	20.9	22.4	25.0	27.0	28.9	30.6	23.5	24.0	26.1	26.8	28.7	29.2	18.4	20.9	23.9	27.1	29.2	32.0
Turkey	23	—	14.0	11.3	15.4	17.0	19.5	—	15.2	11.8	16.3	17.9	20.6	—	12.7	10.7	14.5	15.9	18.4
United Kingdom	20-24	—	39.2	39.8	39.0	39.0	40.2	—	34.2	34.1	33.0	32.9	33.5	—	44.3	45.7	45.2	45.4	47.2
United States	21-23	33.4	33.2	34.2	35.5	36.5	37.3	27.6	27.5	28.1	29.1	30.1	31.0	39.4	39.2	40.7	42.4	43.4	43.9
Other reporting    countries
Brazil	22	—	15.6	17.5	21.3	22.7	25.6	—	11.8	13.3	16.2	18.4	19.9	—	19.4	21.6	26.4	27.0	31.3
Russian Federation	21-22	—	—	45.9	43.7	48.6	52.7	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

—Not available.

1 Refers to the mean of the data values for all reporting OECD countries, to which each country reporting data contributes equally. The average includes all current OECD countries for which a given year's data are available, even if they were not members of OECD in that year. However, if data were reported for less than 75 percent of the countries that were members of OECD in a given year, the average for that year is omitted.

2 Much of the increase in Finnish degree recipients between 2007 and 2008 occurred because students had a strong incentive to complete their degrees in 2008. Structural changes in the Finnish higher education system went into effect in 2009. Students who did not complete their degrees in 2008 may have had to spend extra time or take additional courses in order to meet new requirements.

NOTE: Data in this table refer to degrees classified by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) level 5A, first award. This level corresponds to the bachelor's degree in the United States. The recipients-per-100-persons ratio relates the number of people of all ages earning bachelor's degrees in a particular year to the number of people in the population at the typical age of graduation. The typical age is based on full-time attendance and normal progression through the education system (without repeating coursework, taking time off, etc.); this age varies across countries because of differences in their education systems and differences in program duration. This age is presented for the most recent year of data and may differ from previous years; please see previously published volumes of the Digest of Education Statistics for the typical age of graduation in previous years. Data for Luxembourg are not shown because tertiary students study for only 1 year in Luxembourg.

SOURCE: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Education at a Glance, 2005 through 2011; and Online Education Database, retrieved June 21, 2011, from http://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx. (This table was prepared June 2011.)