Countries With the Highest Mean Years of Schooling
Every country with a figure for mean years of schooling, ranked from highest to lowest. The top three are Germany (14.3), Switzerland (13.9) and United States (13.9). The middle country of the 193 has 9.93.
What this measures
Mean years of schooling, adults aged 25 and over. Source: United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report Office. For this measure, higher is better.
The schooling adults actually completed, decades ago for most of them. Expected schooling looks ahead at children; this looks back at adults. It is the one to read for the education of the workforce rather than of children.
This measure mostly follows how rich a country is, so this ranking is close to a ranking by national income. Each country’s page also ranks it against countries with similar incomes, which is often the fairer comparison.
The full ranking
Each country’s latest figure, from 2023–2023. The year beside each value says when it was measured.
| Rank | Country | Mean years of schooling | Year | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 14.3 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 2 | Switzerland | 13.9 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 3 | United States | 13.9 | 2023 | North America |
| 4 | Iceland | 13.9 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 5 | Canada | 13.9 | 2023 | North America |
| 6 | Lithuania | 13.6 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 7 | Estonia | 13.6 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 8 | Israel | 13.5 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 9 | United Kingdom | 13.5 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 10 | Latvia | 13.4 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 11 | Palau | 13.3 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 12 | Poland | 13.2 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 13 | Norway | 13.1 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 14 | Slovak Republic | 13.1 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 15 | Denmark | 13 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 16 | United Arab Emirates | 13 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 17 | Finland | 13 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 18 | Czechia | 13 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 19 | Slovenia | 13 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 20 | New Zealand | 12.9 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 21 | Australia | 12.9 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 22 | Bahamas, The | 12.8 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 23 | Montenegro | 12.8 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 24 | Sweden | 12.7 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 25 | Korea, Rep. | 12.7 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 26 | Georgia | 12.7 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 27 | Belgium | 12.7 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 28 | Japan | 12.7 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 29 | Netherlands | 12.7 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 30 | Luxembourg | 12.6 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 31 | Cyprus | 12.6 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 32 | Kazakhstan | 12.5 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 33 | Malta | 12.4 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 34 | Russian Federation | 12.4 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 35 | Liechtenstein | 12.4 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 36 | Austria | 12.4 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 37 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 12.3 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 38 | Belarus | 12.3 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 39 | Hungary | 12.3 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 40 | Croatia | 12.1 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 41 | Kyrgyz Republic | 12.1 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 42 | Singapore | 12 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 43 | Uzbekistan | 11.9 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 44 | Oman | 11.9 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 45 | Moldova | 11.8 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 46 | France | 11.8 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 47 | Ireland | 11.7 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 48 | Antigua and Barbuda | 11.6 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 49 | Serbia | 11.6 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 50 | Marshall Islands | 11.6 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 51 | Andorra | 11.6 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 52 | South Africa | 11.6 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 53 | Saudi Arabia | 11.6 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 54 | Greece | 11.6 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 55 | Romania | 11.6 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 56 | Bulgaria | 11.5 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 57 | San Marino | 11.4 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 58 | Armenia | 11.3 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 59 | Samoa | 11.3 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 60 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 11.3 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 61 | Chile | 11.3 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 62 | Tajikistan | 11.3 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 63 | Turkmenistan | 11.2 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 64 | Seychelles | 11.2 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 65 | Argentina | 11.2 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 66 | Bahrain | 11.1 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 67 | Ukraine | 11.1 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 68 | Malaysia | 11.1 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 69 | Azerbaijan | 11.1 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 70 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 11 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 71 | Tonga | 10.9 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 72 | St. Kitts and Nevis | 10.8 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 73 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 10.8 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 74 | Panama | 10.8 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 75 | Italy | 10.8 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 76 | Trinidad and Tobago | 10.8 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 77 | Sri Lanka | 10.8 | 2023 | South Asia |
| 78 | Qatar | 10.8 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 79 | Tuvalu | 10.8 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 80 | Spain | 10.8 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 81 | Cuba | 10.6 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 82 | Uruguay | 10.5 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 83 | Botswana | 10.5 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 84 | Fiji | 10.4 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 85 | Lebanon | 10.4 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 86 | Jordan | 10.2 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 87 | North Macedonia | 10.2 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 88 | Albania | 10.2 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 89 | Peru | 10.2 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 90 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 10.1 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 91 | West Bank and Gaza | 10.1 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 92 | Dominica | 10.1 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 93 | Mauritius | 10.1 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 94 | Bolivia | 10 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 95 | Philippines | 9.98 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 96 | Jamaica | 9.96 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 97 | Nicaragua | 9.93 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 98 | Barbados | 9.93 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 99 | Portugal | 9.7 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 100 | Gabon | 9.69 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 101 | Venezuela, RB | 9.68 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 102 | Naoero | 9.45 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 103 | Grenada | 9.45 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 104 | Dominican Republic | 9.44 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 105 | Mongolia | 9.42 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 106 | Mexico | 9.35 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 107 | Brunei Darussalam | 9.28 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 108 | Kiribati | 9.13 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 109 | Thailand | 9.04 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 110 | Colombia | 9.03 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 111 | Turkiye | 8.99 | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 112 | Viet Nam | 8.98 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 113 | Ecuador | 8.97 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 114 | Zimbabwe | 8.93 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 115 | Paraguay | 8.93 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 116 | Costa Rica | 8.84 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 117 | Belize | 8.76 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 118 | Guyana | 8.7 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 119 | Indonesia | 8.7 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 120 | Eswatini | 8.69 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 121 | Kenya | 8.62 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 122 | St. Lucia | 8.61 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 123 | Suriname | 8.43 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 124 | Brazil | 8.43 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 125 | Congo, Rep. | 8.32 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 126 | Equatorial Guinea | 8.28 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 127 | China | 8.04 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 128 | Libya | 7.78 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 129 | Lesotho | 7.73 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 130 | Tunisia | 7.59 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 131 | Nigeria | 7.59 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 132 | Kuwait | 7.57 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 133 | Honduras | 7.51 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 134 | Algeria | 7.42 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 135 | Maldives | 7.41 | 2023 | South Asia |
| 136 | Zambia | 7.4 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 137 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 7.38 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 138 | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 7.33 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 139 | El Salvador | 7.3 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 140 | Namibia | 7.27 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 141 | Vanuatu | 7.18 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 142 | Ghana | 7.11 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 143 | India | 6.88 | 2023 | South Asia |
| 144 | Bangladesh | 6.79 | 2023 | South Asia |
| 145 | Iraq | 6.78 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 146 | Cameroon | 6.57 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 147 | Myanmar | 6.38 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 148 | Uganda | 6.32 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 149 | Timor-Leste | 6.23 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 150 | Morocco | 6.2 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 151 | Liberia | 6.17 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 152 | Cabo Verde | 6.09 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 153 | Tanzania | 6.07 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 154 | Lao PDR | 6.06 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 155 | Comoros | 6.01 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 156 | Sao Tome and Principe | 5.99 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 157 | Angola | 5.96 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 158 | Syrian Arab Republic | 5.94 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 159 | Solomon Islands | 5.88 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 160 | Togo | 5.86 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 161 | Guatemala | 5.85 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 162 | Bhutan | 5.84 | 2023 | South Asia |
| 163 | South Sudan | 5.73 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 164 | Yemen, Rep. | 5.48 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 165 | Haiti | 5.38 | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 166 | Malawi | 5.24 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 167 | Cambodia | 5.2 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 168 | Eritrea | 5.09 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 169 | Papua New Guinea | 4.96 | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 170 | Rwanda | 4.88 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 171 | Cote d'Ivoire | 4.87 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 172 | Mauritania | 4.85 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 173 | Gambia, The | 4.67 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 174 | Madagascar | 4.59 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 175 | Mozambique | 4.59 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 176 | Nepal | 4.5 | 2023 | South Asia |
| 177 | Pakistan | 4.32 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 178 | Central African Republic | 3.99 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 179 | Sudan | 3.96 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 180 | Djibouti | 3.95 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 181 | Guinea-Bissau | 3.67 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 182 | Sierra Leone | 3.54 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 183 | Burundi | 3.47 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 184 | Benin | 3.19 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 185 | Senegal | 2.93 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 186 | Afghanistan | 2.51 | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 187 | Guinea | 2.49 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 188 | Ethiopia | 2.4 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 189 | Chad | 2.33 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 190 | Burkina Faso | 2.27 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 191 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 1.9 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 192 | Mali | 1.63 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 193 | Niger | 1.41 | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
More on mean years of schooling
- Countries With the Lowest Mean Years of Schooling
- Mean years of schooling by country: trend over time and what it goes with
Related rankings
- Countries With the Highest PISA Maths
- Countries With the Highest PISA Reading
- Countries With the Highest PISA Science
- Countries With the Highest Primary Completion
- Countries With the Highest Expected Schooling
- Countries With the Highest Education Spending
- Countries With the Highest Primary Enrollment
- Countries With the Highest Secondary Enrollment
A ranking describes countries, not the people in them, and a high or low place does not by itself say why. All country rankings.