Poland: Lower secondary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Poland's lower secondary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) fell 72.69 percentage points on 2023 (from 127.69% to 55%).

Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2003 to 2023), the average change was +0.27 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.22 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 32.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.83 percentage points in 2019 and the biggest yearly fall was 72.69 percentage points in 2024. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains less than 1% of the movement over 8 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

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

How it compares

In 2024, Poland had the 81st highest value of the 93 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 Poland in the 2024 ranking

• Togo — 78th of 93: 56.63%
• Bhutan — 79th of 93: 56.55%
• Pakistan — 80th of 93: 55.82%
• Guatemala — 82nd of 93: 49.29%
• Rwanda — 83rd of 93: 47.58%
• Lesotho — 84th of 93: 45.05%

What this measures

Lower secondary education completion rate is measured as the gross intake ratio to the last grade of lower secondary education (general and pre-vocational). It is calculated as the number of new entrants in the last grade of lower secondary education, regardless of age, divided by the population at the entrance age for the last grade of lower secondary education.

Limitations: The data do not account for students who drop out during the final year of Lower secondary education. Therefore, this rate serves as a proxy and should be considered an upper estimate of the actual Lower secondary completion rate. There are many reasons why the primary completion rate can exceed 100 percent. The numerator may include late entrants and overage children who have repeated one or more grades of primary education as well as children who entered school early, while the denominator is the number of children at the entrance age for the last grade of primary education.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 14 values

Lower secondary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) in nearby economies

• Albania — 104.21% (2024)
• Andorra — 93.38% (2024)
• Armenia — 97.89% (2024)
• Austria — 95.8% (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 80.31% (2024)
• Belarus — 100.82% (2024)
• Belgium — 92.43% (2023)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 93.79% (2023)
• Bulgaria

More education data for Poland

• Primary school starting age (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 4 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 11 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 8 (2025)
• Secondary education, pupils — 3.33 million (2024)
• Primary education, pupils — 1.6 million (2024)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) — 93.87% (2020)
• Persistence to last grade of primary, total (% of cohort) — 99.79% (2023)
• Repeaters, primary, total (% of total enrollment) — 1.06% (2017)
• Secondary education, general pupils

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Poland's lower secondary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group)?

55% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2002?

It is down 39.27 percentage points from 94.27% in 2002. The highest value was 132.67% in 2022 and the lowest 55% in 2024.

How does Poland rank?

81st highest of 93 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in lower secondary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) unusual for Poland?

In 2024, Poland's lower secondary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) fell 72.69 percentage points on 2023 (from 127.69% to 55%). Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2003 to 2023), the average change was +0.27 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.22 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 32.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.SEC.CMPT.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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