Germany: Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2022, Germany's educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) rose 0.23 percentage points on 2021 (from 30.01% to 30.25%).

Across the 25 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2021), the average change was +0.4 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.79 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 2.1 percentage points in 2019 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.14 percentage points in 2014. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2013 to 2022 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.58 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 81% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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

Closest to Germany in the 2022 ranking

• Slovenia — 1st of 4: 34.66%
• Mauritius — 3rd of 4: 12.49%
• Mali — 4th of 4: 3.9%

What this measures

The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed short-cycle tertiary 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 29 values

Educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) in nearby economies

• Albania — 20.44% (2023)
• Austria — 21.34% (2023)
• Azerbaijan — 27.66% (2023)
• Belgium — 37.94% (2023)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 12.77% (2023)
• Croatia — 25.56% (2023)
• Cyprus — 43.88% (2023)

More education data for Germany

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 4 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 10 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 9 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 3.31 million (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 6.97 million (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 283,851 (2024)
• Secondary education, teachers — 618,670 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) — 5.13% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers (% female) — 87.33% (2024)

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Questions people ask

What is Germany's educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)?

30.25% in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1992?

It is up 11.31 percentage points from 18.94% in 1992. The highest value was 30.25% in 2022 and the lowest 18.94% in 1992.

Is the latest change in educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) unusual for Germany?

In 2022, Germany's educational attainment, at least completed short-cycle tertiary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) rose 0.23 percentage points on 2021 (from 30.01% to 30.25%). Across the 25 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2021), the average change was +0.4 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.79 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.TER.CUAT.ST.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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