Estonia: Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (%) (cumulative)

Key figures

Since 1989 it is up 2.03 percentage points from 97.83% in 1989. The World Bank has no value for 21 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2023, Estonia's educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (%) (cumulative) fell 0.01 percentage points on 2022 (from 99.88% to 99.87%).

Across the 10 yearly changes before that (1998 to 2022), the average change was +0.01 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.34 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.72 percentage points in 2001 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.72 percentage points in 2000. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Estonia had the 10th highest value of the 42 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Estonia in the 2023 ranking

• Sweden — 7th of 42: 100%
• Azerbaijan — 8th of 42: 99.94%
• Czechia — 9th of 42: 99.89%
• Slovak Republic — 11th of 42: 99.83%
• Slovenia — 12th of 42: 99.8%
• Malta — 13th of 42: 99.79%

What this measures

The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed primary education.

Limitations: Caution is required when using this indicator for cross-country comparison, since the countries do not always classify degrees and qualifications at the same International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) levels, even if they are received at roughly the same age or after a similar number of years of schooling. Also, certain educational programmes and study courses cannot be easily classified according to ISCED. This indicator only measures educational attainment in terms of level of education attained, i.e. years of schooling, and does not necessarily reveal the quality of the education (learning achievement and other impacts).

All 14 values

Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (%) (cumulative) in nearby economies

• Albania — 99.28% (2023)
• Armenia — 99.65% (2023)
• Austria — 100% (2023)
• Azerbaijan — 99.94% (2023)
• Belgium — 95.77% (2023)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 91.4% (2023)
• Bulgaria — 99.24% (2023)

More education data for Estonia

• Primary school starting age (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 13 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 89,246 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1 (2020)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) — 94.31% (2019)
• Primary education, pupils (% female) — 48.52% (2017)
• Secondary education, general pupils — 63,544 (2017)
• Secondary education, general pupils (% female)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Estonia's educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (%) (cumulative)?

99.87% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1989?

It is up 2.03 percentage points from 97.83% in 1989. The highest value was 100% in 1997 and the lowest 97.83% in 1989.

How does Estonia rank?

10th highest of 42 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (%) (cumulative) unusual for Estonia?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.CUAT.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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