Mexico: Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)

Key figures

Since 1980 it is up 51.88 percentage points from 17.17% in 1980. The World Bank has no value for 24 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 4.12 percentage points in 2006 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.45 percentage points in 2013. 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 2024, Mexico had the 18th highest value of the 31 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 Mexico in the 2024 ranking

• Sri Lanka — 14th of 31: 82.71%
• Bahrain — 15th of 31: 82.61%
• Greece — 16th of 31: 78.38%
• North Macedonia — 18th of 31: 68.97%
• Bolivia — 19th of 31: 65.6%
• Panama — 20th of 31: 64.71%

What this measures

The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed lower secondary 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 do not necessarily reveal the quality of the education (learning achievement and other impacts).

All 21 values

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

• Bolivia — 65.6% (2024)
• Brazil — 67.2% (2023)
• Chile — 87.76% (2024)
• Colombia — 62.74% (2024)
• Costa Rica — 52.39% (2024)
• Dominican Republic — 61.64% (2024)
• Ecuador — 54.42% (2024)

More education data for Mexico

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 13.19 million (2025)
• Secondary education, pupils — 13.99 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) — 10.18% (2025)
• Primary education, teachers — 571,832 (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.01 (2020)
• School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI)

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 Mexico's educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)?

69.05% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1980?

It is up 51.88 percentage points from 17.17% in 1980. The highest value was 69.05% in 2024 and the lowest 17.17% in 1980.

How does Mexico rank?

18th highest of 31 economies with data for 2024.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, 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..

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.SEC.CUAT.LO.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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