(197KB)| Table 421. | Percentage of the population 25 to 64 years old who attained selected levels of postsecondary education, by age group and country: 2001 and 2008 |
| Country | 2001 | 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vocational degree1 | Bachelor's or higher degree2 | Vocational degree1 | Bachelor's or higher degree2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Total, 25 to 64 years old | 25 to 34 years old | 35 to 44 years old | 45 to 54 years old | 55 to 64 years old | Total, 25 to 64 years old | 25 to 34 years old | 35 to 44 years old | 45 to 54 years old | 55 to 64 years old | Total, 25 to 64 years old | 25 to 34 years old | 35 to 44 years old | 45 to 54 years old | 55 to 64 years old | Total, 25 to 64 years old | 25 to 34 years old | 35 to 44 years old | 45 to 54 years old | 55 to 64 years old | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| OECD average3 | 8.2 | 9.8 | 9.0 | 7.4 | 5.6 | 14.7 | 17.9 | 15.5 | 13.7 | 10.0 | 9.4 | 10.1 | 10.0 | 9.1 | 7.1 | 20.8 | 26.9 | 21.9 | 18.0 | 15.1 |
| Australia | 9.7 | 9.7 | 10.1 | 10.1 | 8.7 | 19.2 | 23.9 | 19.3 | 18.7 | 12.4 | 10.3 | 9.8 | 10.7 | 10.7 | 9.7 | 25.9 | 32.2 | 27.4 | 23.4 | 18.9 |
| Austria4 | 7.3 | 7.9 | 8.2 | 7.1 | 5.5 | 6.6 | 7.1 | 7.8 | 6.3 | 4.4 | 7.4 | 5.9 | 7.6 | 8.5 | 7.3 | 10.7 | 13.5 | 11.7 | 9.2 | 7.9 |
| Belgium4 | 15.0 | 19.3 | 16.4 | 13.1 | 9.2 | 12.1 | 16.7 | 13.0 | 9.7 | 7.6 | 15.9 | 19.5 | 17.1 | 14.9 | 11.8 | 16.4 | 22.8 | 18.2 | 13.8 | 10.5 |
| Canada | 21.2 | 25.4 | 22.8 | 19.5 | 14.8 | 20.4 | 25.1 | 19.8 | 19.7 | 15.3 | 23.6 | 26.1 | 25.7 | 23.3 | 18.8 | 25.2 | 29.8 | 28.5 | 21.1 | 21.1 |
| Chile | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8.5 | 11.5 | 10.9 | 6.7 | 3.2 | 15.7 | 22.3 | 13.6 | 13.1 | 13.9 |
| Czech Republic | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | 11.1 | 11.3 | 13.0 | 10.7 | 9.3 | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | 14.5 | 17.7 | 14.4 | 14.8 | 10.6 |
| Denmark | 18.9 | 18.4 | 20.1 | 20.7 | 15.8 | 7.5 | 10.7 | 7.9 | 6.4 | 4.4 | 7.0 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 6.8 | 5.3 | 27.5 | 34.9 | 29.3 | 24.9 | 21.0 |
| Finland | 17.5 | 20.2 | 20.8 | 16.0 | 12.1 | 14.8 | 18.0 | 16.2 | 13.4 | 11.2 | 15.0 | 5.4 | 19.9 | 19.3 | 14.9 | 21.5 | 32.9 | 24.0 | 17.3 | 13.6 |
| France | 11.2 | 16.7 | 11.7 | 8.8 | 5.9 | 11.9 | 17.5 | 10.8 | 10.0 | 8.2 | 11.1 | 16.9 | 12.9 | 8.6 | 5.6 | 16.4 | 23.7 | 18.2 | 11.6 | 11.8 |
| Germany | 9.7 | 8.2 | 10.7 | 10.0 | 9.7 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 14.6 | 10.5 | 9.0 | 6.5 | 9.4 | 10.0 | 9.4 | 16.4 | 17.5 | 17.3 | 15.9 | 15.0 |
| Greece | 5.4 | 7.4 | 7.2 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 12.4 | 16.6 | 14.5 | 11.8 | 6.2 | 6.6 | 9.6 | 7.9 | 5.3 | 2.7 | 16.8 | 18.6 | 18.6 | 16.3 | 12.7 |
| Hungary | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | 14.1 | 14.7 | 15.1 | 14.4 | 11.7 | # | 1.0 | # | # | # | 18.7 | 22.9 | 18.6 | 16.6 | 16.0 |
| Iceland | 6.0 | 5.5 | 7.6 | 5.7 | 4.1 | 18.8 | 21.1 | 21.2 | 18.6 | 11.0 | 3.4 | 2.2 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 2.6 | 27.9 | 30.6 | 32.1 | 26.0 | 21.0 |
| Ireland | 21.6 | 28.1 | 23.2 | 17.8 | 13.1 | 14.0 | 19.8 | 13.7 | 11.2 | 8.0 | 11.7 | 14.5 | 13.5 | 9.9 | 6.6 | 22.2 | 30.6 | 23.4 | 17.2 | 12.1 |
| Italy | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | 10.0 | 11.8 | 10.9 | 10.4 | 6.2 | # | # | 0.5 | # | # | 14.0 | 19.6 | 14.6 | 11.5 | 9.5 |
| Japan | 14.6 | 23.4 | 18.6 | 11.0 | 5.1 | 19.2 | 24.3 | 24.9 | 17.3 | 10.1 | 18.5 | 24.1 | 22.6 | 17.8 | 10.1 | 24.3 | 30.9 | 25.8 | 25.3 | 16.0 |
| Korea, Republic of | 6.7 | 14.5 | 5.9 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 17.5 | 25.0 | 20.0 | 11.0 | 8.1 | 10.9 | 23.3 | 10.8 | 4.4 | 1.4 | 25.6 | 34.5 | 31.7 | 18.9 | 10.5 |
| Luxembourg | 6.7 | 8.3 | 6.5 | 5.8 | 5.5 | 11.4 | 15.1 | 11.3 | 9.6 | 8.0 | 7.7 | 10.8 | 6.9 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 20.0 | 27.9 | 21.5 | 15.5 | 12.9 |
| Mexico | 1.7 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 13.3 | 15.3 | 15.5 | 10.8 | 6.8 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 14.9 | 18.5 | 14.6 | 14.0 | 8.9 |
| Netherlands4 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 21.0 | 24.0 | 22.0 | 20.0 | 15.0 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 29.8 | 37.5 | 29.7 | 28.1 | 24.4 |
| New Zealand | 15.3 | 11.6 | 15.8 | 17.6 | 17.0 | 13.9 | 16.9 | 14.7 | 14.4 | 7.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 14.0 | 16.0 | 15.8 | 25.1 | 33.6 | 25.9 | 21.9 | 18.2 |
| Norway4 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 25.6 | 32.0 | 25.6 | 23.4 | 18.5 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 33.6 | 43.8 | 36.3 | 28.7 | 25.3 |
| Poland | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | 11.9 | 15.2 | 10.9 | 10.8 | 10.2 | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | 19.6 | 32.1 | 18.8 | 13.0 | 12.0 |
| Portugal | 2.4 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 6.6 | 10.6 | 6.6 | 4.6 | 3.2 | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | 14.3 | 23.2 | 14.5 | 9.9 | 7.7 |
| Slovak Republic | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 10.3 | 11.2 | 10.6 | 10.5 | 8.1 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 14.0 | 17.8 | 13.1 | 13.4 | 9.9 |
| Spain | 6.7 | 11.6 | 7.1 | 3.4 | 2.1 | 16.9 | 23.9 | 18.0 | 12.8 | 8.3 | 9.2 | 13.0 | 10.8 | 6.6 | 4.1 | 20.0 | 25.7 | 21.9 | 17.2 | 11.9 |
| Sweden | 14.7 | 17.1 | 16.9 | 14.4 | 9.6 | 16.9 | 19.7 | 15.8 | 17.2 | 14.7 | 8.6 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 9.1 | 8.6 | 23.4 | 32.4 | 24.3 | 19.3 | 17.8 |
| Switzerland | 9.6 | 9.7 | 11.3 | 8.6 | 7.7 | 15.8 | 15.9 | 18.2 | 15.4 | 12.5 | 10.4 | 9.7 | 11.4 | 10.7 | 9.3 | 23.3 | 28.8 | 25.0 | 20.8 | 18.0 |
| Turkey | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 8.0 | 9.1 | 6.3 | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | 12.0 | 15.5 | 10.6 | 9.6 | 9.5 |
| United Kingdom | 8.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 18.0 | 21.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 12.0 | 9.0 | 7.7 | 9.7 | 9.6 | 8.7 | 23.6 | 30.7 | 23.3 | 20.3 | 18.5 |
| United States | 9.0 | 9.2 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 6.5 | 28.3 | 29.9 | 27.9 | 30.0 | 24.1 | 9.6 | 9.3 | 9.9 | 10.2 | 8.9 | 31.5 | 32.3 | 33.1 | 29.6 | 31.1 |
| Reporting partner countries |
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| Brazil | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | (5) | 10.8 | 11.0 | 11.6 | 10.6 | 9.1 |
| Estonia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12.0 | 12.3 | 12.1 | 12.3 | 11.0 | 22.3 | 23.5 | 22.5 | 22.3 | 20.6 |
| Israel | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15.1 | 13.4 | 15.8 | 15.8 | 16.5 | 28.8 | 28.9 | 30.1 | 28.2 | 27.6 |
| Russian Federation6 | 33.5 | 34.2 | 37.1 | 34.4 | 26.0 | 20.8 | 21.3 | 21.3 | 20.4 | 18.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Slovenia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10.8 | 11.7 | 11.4 | 10.8 | 9.2 | 11.8 | 18.4 | 12.3 | 9.0 | 6.9 |
| —Not available. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| #Rounds to zero. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) level 5B corresponds to the associate's degree in the United States in this table. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 ISCED 5A, first award, corresponds to the bachelor's degree in the United States; ISCED 5A, second award, corresponds to master's and first-professional degrees in the United States; and ISCED 6 corresponds to doctor's degrees. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 Refers to the mean of the data values for all reporting OECD countries, to which each country reporting data contributes equally. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 Data from 2000 reported for 2001. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 Included in bachelor's or higher degree. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 Data from 2002 shown for 2001. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| NOTE: Data in this table refer to degrees classified by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as ISCED level 5B; level 5A, first and second award; and level 6. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| SOURCE: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Education at a Glance, 2002 and 2010. (This table was prepared July 2010.) |