Saudi Arabia: Educational attainment, at least Bachelor's or equivalent, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 11.5 percentage points from 24.54% in 2019. Since 2004 it is up 21.11 percentage points from 14.93% in 2004. The World Bank has no value for 11 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

From 2017 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 1.45 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 78% of the movement over 8 observed 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, Saudi Arabia had the 5th highest value of the 24 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 Saudi Arabia in the 2024 ranking

• United States — 2nd of 24: 39.06%
• Australia — 3rd of 24: 36.78%
• Korea, Rep. — 4th of 24: 36.46%
• Mongolia — 6th of 24: 35.52%
• Canada — 7th of 24: 34.66%
• Georgia — 8th of 24: 33.69%

What this measures

The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed Bachelor's or equivalent.

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 10 values

Educational attainment, at least Bachelor's or equivalent, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) in nearby economies

• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 17.92% (2023)
• Israel — 38.3% (2023)
• Malta — 26.31% (2023)
• Pakistan — 9.93% (2021)
• Qatar — 30.39% (2022)
• West Bank and Gaza — 22.79% (2024)

More education data for Saudi Arabia

• 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)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 83.88% (2024)
• School enrollment, tertiary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.01 (2024)
• School enrollment, tertiary, female (% gross) — 84.15% (2024)
• School enrollment, tertiary, male (% gross) — 83.65% (2024)
• Tertiary education, academic staff (% female) — 48.05% (2024)

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 Saudi Arabia's educational attainment, at least Bachelor's or equivalent, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)?

36.04% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2004?

It is up 21.11 percentage points from 14.93% in 2004. The highest value was 36.04% in 2024 and the lowest 14.93% in 2004.

How does Saudi Arabia rank?

5th highest of 24 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.TER.CUAT.BA.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.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.