Trends in the percentage of employed 25-64 year-olds, by country and educational attainment: 1997-2008

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Table B.4.05.

Trends in the percentage of employed 25-64 year-olds, by country and educational attainment: 1997-2008

— Not available.
Country	Educational attainment	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
OECD average	Below upper secondary	57.2	57.4	57.7	57.8	58.0	57.4	57.4	56.9	57.5	58.2	58.7	58.7
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	74.3	74.6	75.0	75.4	75.4	75.0	74.8	74.6	74.7	75.4	76.1	76.1
	Tertiary education	84.2	84.4	84.5	84.7	84.7	84.4	83.9	83.7	84.6	84.9	84.4	84.5

OECD countries
Australia	Below upper secondary	59.5	59.5	59.1	60.8	59.9	60.0	61.0	60.6	62.9	63.5	63.9	61.5
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	76.1	75.9	76.2	76.7	78.0	77.8	78.7	78.8	79.8	80.4	80.5	80.9
	Tertiary education	83.4	83.8	82.0	82.9	83.1	83.5	83.2	83.3	84.4	84.4	84.8	83.1
Austria	Below upper secondary	52.8	52.6	53.3	53.7	53.5	54.4	55.0	52.2	53.3	55.7	57.9	57.0
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	75.6	75.0	75.6	74.8	74.8	75.3	75.6	73.9	74.3	75.8	76.9	78.1
	Tertiary education	86.0	85.8	86.2	87.5	86.6	86.0	85.0	82.5	84.5	85.9	86.8	86.4
Belgium	Below upper secondary	47.5	47.5	49.1	50.5	49.0	48.8	48.9	48.8	49.0	49.0	49.8	49.4
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	73.4	72.0	74.5	75.1	73.9	73.8	72.8	73.1	74.0	73.2	74.2	74.7
	Tertiary education	83.9	84.3	85.4	85.3	84.5	83.7	83.6	83.9	84.2	83.6	84.9	84.7
Canada	Below upper secondary	52.5	53.5	54.4	55.0	54.4	55.3	56.4	57.1	56.4	56.9	57.3	57.7
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	73.9	74.5	75.4	76.1	75.4	75.9	76.3	76.7	76.3	76.0	76.5	76.5
	Tertiary education	81.7	82.3	82.4	82.7	81.9	82.0	82.0	82.2	82.2	82.6	82.9	82.6
Chile	Below upper secondary	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	59.4	58.9
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	69.3	70.1
	Tertiary education	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	77.9	79.5

Czech Republic	Below upper secondary	51.1	49.5	46.9	46.9	46.7	45.3	46.0	42.3	41.2	43.9	45.7	46.5
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	79.7	78.2	76.4	75.5	75.7	76.2	75.8	74.8	75.5	75.6	76.1	76.6
	Tertiary education	89.3	88.7	87.4	86.8	87.8	87.1	86.5	86.4	85.8	85.1	85.2	85.1
Denmark	Below upper secondary	—	60.9	61.7	62.2	61.5	61.2	62.6	61.7	61.5	62.8	66.6	66.9
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	—	79.1	80.7	81.0	81.0	80.3	79.8	79.9	79.9	81.3	82.5	83.2
	Tertiary education	—	87.5	87.9	88.6	87.2	86.0	85.2	85.5	86.4	87.4	87.8	89.2
Finland	Below upper secondary	54.7	56.2	58.6	57.3	58.2	57.7	57.9	57.1	57.9	58.4	58.6	59.3
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	72.2	73.1	74.3	74.9	75.5	74.4	74.4	74.4	75.2	75.6	76.2	77.3
	Tertiary education	82.6	83.2	84.7	84.4	85.1	85.1	85.0	84.2	84.1	85.0	85.2	85.6
France	Below upper secondary	56.3	56.3	56.4	57.0	57.7	57.8	58.9	59.1	58.6	58.1	57.8	58.1
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	75.0	75.0	75.1	75.8	76.5	76.7	76.3	75.7	75.7	75.6	75.8	75.9
	Tertiary education	81.3	81.6	81.8	83.1	83.7	83.3	83.3	82.9	83.0	83.0	83.5	84.3
Germany	Below upper secondary	45.7	46.1	48.7	50.6	51.8	50.9	50.2	48.6	51.6	53.8	54.6	55.3
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	68.2	67.9	69.9	70.4	70.5	70.3	69.7	69.5	70.6	72.5	74.4	75.3
	Tertiary education	82.3	82.2	83.0	83.4	83.4	83.6	83.0	82.7	82.9	84.3	85.5	85.8

Greece	Below upper secondary	57.4	57.1	57.0	57.5	57.2	58.3	59.7	57.9	59.1	59.5	59.9	60.3
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	63.3	64.8	64.6	64.6	65.0	65.3	66.8	68.1	68.7	69.7	69.4	69.8
	Tertiary education	80.2	80.5	80.7	80.9	80.3	81.2	81.5	81.4	81.8	83.1	82.6	82.6
Hungary	Below upper secondary	36.2	36.2	35.8	35.8	36.6	36.7	37.4	36.9	38.1	38.2	38.5	38.7
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	70.7	70.9	72.1	72.1	71.9	71.7	71.4	70.9	70.4	70.4	70.2	68.7
	Tertiary education	81.4	81.0	82.1	82.4	82.6	82.0	82.7	82.9	83.0	81.8	80.4	79.9
Iceland	Below upper secondary	83.8	85.6	87.2	87.3	87.2	86.4	83.7	81.6	83.0	83.6	84.1	83.1
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	88.0	88.6	90.5	89.0	89.7	89.4	88.7	87.8	88.2	88.6	88.6	86.3
	Tertiary education	94.6	94.7	95.1	95.0	94.7	95.4	92.7	92.0	92.0	92.0	92.2	91.0
Ireland	Below upper secondary	50.3	53.4	54.4	60.7	58.4	56.7	56.6	57.5	58.4	58.7	58.7	56.8
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	68.7	71.7	74.8	77.0	77.3	76.6	75.6	75.9	76.7	77.3	77.1	75.5
	Tertiary education	81.9	85.2	87.2	87.2	87.0	86.3	86.1	86.2	86.8	86.5	86.7	85.2
Italy	Below upper secondary	—	47.8	48.0	48.6	49.4	50.5	50.7	51.7	51.7	52.5	52.8	52.5
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	—	70.1	70.3	71.2	72.1	72.3	72.4	73.5	73.5	74.4	74.5	74.3
	Tertiary education	—	80.8	80.7	81.4	81.6	82.2	82.0	81.2	80.4	80.6	80.2	80.7

Japan	Below upper secondary	69.4	68.8	68.2	67.1	67.6	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	75.3	75.8	74.2	73.8	74.3	71.8	71.8	72.0	72.3	73.2	74.4	74.4
	Tertiary education	80.7	79.5	79.2	79.0	79.9	79.2	79.2	79.3	79.4	79.8	80.1	79.7
Korea	Below upper secondary	71.2	66.1	66.9	68.0	67.8	68.4	66.5	66.4	65.9	66.2	66.0	66.1
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	71.7	66.5	66.4	68.7	69.3	70.5	69.6	70.1	70.1	70.3	70.7	70.7
	Tertiary education	80.2	76.1	74.6	75.4	75.7	76.1	76.4	76.7	76.8	77.2	77.2	77.1
Luxembourg	Below upper secondary	—	—	56.5	58.3	60.0	59.3	60.3	59.1	61.8	60.8	62.3	61.1
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	—	—	73.9	74.6	74.8	73.6	73.3	72.6	71.7	73.4	73.9	70.7
	Tertiary education	—	—	85.0	84.3	85.5	85.2	82.3	84.1	84.0	85.2	84.5	84.7
Mexico	Below upper secondary	61.8	61.3	61.4	60.7	60.5	61.3	60.9	62.2	65.4	67.0	63.0	63.6
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	70.1	69.1	69.1	70.7	69.8	69.7	69.5	70.3	59.2	61.1	73.5	72.9
	Tertiary education	83.2	83.2	82.0	82.5	80.9	80.9	81.2	81.4	96.8	97.2	83.0	82.8
Netherlands	Below upper secondary	—	55.3	60.7	57.6	58.8	60.7	59.4	59.4	59.5	60.6	61.9	63.7
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	—	76.8	79.5	79.4	80.0	79.8	78.8	77.9	77.9	79.1	80.3	81.5
	Tertiary education	—	85.4	87.2	86.3	86.3	86.5	85.9	85.3	85.6	86.4	87.7	88.3

New Zealand	Below upper secondary	63.1	62.4	63.6	64.8	65.9	67.0	67.4	68.9	70.0	70.4	71.0	70.5
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	80.3	79.1	79.7	80.0	80.1	81.2	81.4	82.7	84.2	84.2	84.6	83.3
	Tertiary education	82.3	81.5	81.9	82.2	83.7	83.0	82.7	83.3	84.1	84.5	83.7	84.5
Norway	Below upper secondary	66.7	67.7	67.1	65.3	63.3	64.2	64.1	62.1	64.3	64.7	66.3	66.0
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	83.3	83.9	82.9	82.7	82.7	81.5	79.6	78.8	82.4	83.1	84.0	84.4
	Tertiary education	90.2	90.2	90.2	89.9	89.6	89.5	88.8	89.3	88.8	89.2	90.4	90.6
Poland	Below upper secondary	50.3	49.1	46.6	42.8	41.5	39.1	38.2	37.5	37.7	38.6	41.0	43.0
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	70.7	71.1	69.7	66.6	64.8	62.5	61.6	61.3	61.7	62.9	65.2	67.0
	Tertiary education	86.7	87.2	86.6	84.5	84.1	83.1	82.6	82.3	82.7	83.5	84.5	85.1
Portugal	Below upper secondary	—	71.6	71.8	72.8	73.1	73.0	72.4	71.9	71.5	71.7	71.6	71.7
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	—	80.1	81.9	83.3	82.7	82.2	81.5	80.3	79.3	80.2	79.8	80.6
	Tertiary education	—	89.4	90.0	90.6	90.8	88.6	87.5	88.0	87.3	86.4	85.9	86.7
Slovak Republic	Below upper secondary	38.9	37.4	33.2	30.9	30.5	28.2	28.5	26.6	26.3	28.9	29.1	32.3
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	75.9	75.1	72.5	70.6	70.2	70.5	71.2	70.3	70.8	71.9	73.2	74.8
	Tertiary education	89.8	88.6	87.0	85.6	86.7	86.6	87.1	83.6	84.0	84.9	84.2	85.5

Spain	Below upper secondary	48.2	49.5	51.0	53.8	55.1	55.7	56.6	57.6	58.6	59.8	60.5	59.1
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	66.6	67.5	69.6	72.1	71.8	71.6	72.4	73.2	74.7	75.9	76.3	75.2
	Tertiary education	75.5	76.3	77.6	79.7	80.7	80.8	81.6	81.9	82.4	83.4	84.4	83.6
Sweden	Below upper secondary	67.2	66.4	66.5	68.0	68.8	68.2	67.5	67.0	66.1	66.9	66.6	66.2
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	78.6	79.3	79.6	81.7	81.9	81.8	81.3	80.7	81.3	81.9	83.1	83.3
	Tertiary education	85.0	85.5	85.6	86.7	86.9	86.5	85.8	85.4	87.3	87.3	88.6	89.2
Switzerland	Below upper secondary	68.0	68.8	68.3	64.5	69.6	68.2	66.3	65.4	65.3	64.5	66.0	67.6
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	79.6	80.8	80.9	81.4	81.3	81.1	80.5	79.9	80.0	80.2	81.1	82.0
	Tertiary education	89.1	90.3	90.7	90.4	91.3	90.6	89.7	89.7	90.0	90.2	90.0	90.5
Turkey	Below upper secondary	56.9	57.4	55.8	53.1	51.9	50.5	49.1	50.1	49.1	49.0	46.9	46.7
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	66.8	66.0	63.9	64.0	62.4	61.8	61.1	61.5	63.2	62.7	61.0	60.8
	Tertiary education	81.7	81.3	79.0	78.5	78.3	76.3	74.9	75.2	76.1	75.5	74.6	74.6
United Kingdom	Below upper secondary	64.7	64.5	65.0	65.3	65.5	65.3	66.0	65.4	65.5	65.2	64.9	65.6
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	79.2	80.1	80.5	81.1	80.9	81.1	81.5	81.2	81.6	81.3	80.9	82.1
	Tertiary education	87.2	87.1	87.7	87.8	88.1	87.6	87.8	87.7	88.0	88.1	87.8	87.8

United States	Below upper secondary	55.2	57.6	57.8	57.8	58.4	57.0	57.8	56.5	57.2	58.0	58.3	56.2
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	75.7	75.8	76.2	76.7	76.2	74.0	73.3	72.8	72.8	73.3	73.6	72.8
	Tertiary education	85.4	85.3	84.6	85.0	84.4	83.2	82.2	82.0	82.5	82.7	83.3	83.1

Non-OECD countries
Brazil	Below upper secondary	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	68.8	69.4
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	76.9	77.7
	Tertiary education	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	85.8	86.0
Estonia	Below upper secondary	—	—	—	—	—	44.1	49.0	50.9	50.0	56.5	56.7	58.3
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	—	—	—	—	—	71.9	72.9	72.6	73.6	78.1	79.4	79.7
	Tertiary education	—	—	—	—	—	81.6	80.3	82.4	84.5	87.7	87.4	85.8
Israel	Below upper secondary	—	—	—	—	—	43.5	42.7	40.4	41.2	41.8	42.7	44.8
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	—	—	—	—	—	66.6	65.9	66.4	66.6	67.5	69.2	70.0
	Tertiary education	—	—	—	—	—	79.1	79.3	79.2	80.3	81.2	83.0	82.8
Slovenia	Below upper secondary	—	—	—	—	—	55.6	54.2	55.9	56.1	55.9	56.2	55.0
	Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary	—	—	—	—	—	74.0	72.7	74.4	74.6	74.1	75.1	76.4
	Tertiary education	—	—	—	—	—	86.1	86.1	86.8	87.0	88.2	87.7	87.9
NOTE: Education levels are defined according to the 1997 International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED97). "Below upper secondary" refers to ISCED97 levels 0 (pre-primary education), 1 (primary education), and 2 (lower secondary education). "Upper secondary education" refers to ISCED97 levels 3 (upper secondary education, i.e. secondary education after compulsary schooling ends) and 4 (postsecondary nontertiary programs, i.e. pre-degree foundation courses or short vocational programmes). "Tertiary education" refers to the ISCED97 levels 5A (academic higher education below the doctoral level), 5B (vocational higher education), and 6 (doctoral level of academic higher education).
SOURCE: Data from Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). (2010). Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators 2010, table A6.3a. Paris: Author.