Most Educated Countries 2022

Educational attainment is a significant indicator of a country’s progress. Education is widely available and inexpensive in industrialized countries, and most people are literate and have a high school education or better.




There is a good likelihood that these countries will be ranked among the world’s most intelligent nations.

In contrast, literacy rates and the number of persons who have graduated from high school are lower in developing countries. Literacy rates and educational programs in underdeveloped and less developed countries are often lower, and many individuals in these countries may not have access to school at all.

Levels of Education Explained

Many nations adhere to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) scale, making it easy to compare educational systems from different countries.

Below upper secondary (preschool through high school), upper secondary (high school), and postsecondary education (college/university) are the three levels of education in a nation.

International Standard Classification of Education (ISSCE) defines three levels of education below the upper secondary school, beginning with preschool and ending about the time a student has completed around 6-8 years of primary classroom teaching (sixth to eighth grade in the U.S. system).




The following level of the school, known as upper secondary education, includes extra topics and courses that might help students prepare for vocational or post-secondary training.

Most nations need at least some secondary schooling. It is then divided into two paths, with some students going straight into the workforce and others going on to tertiary (postsecondary) education such as certificate programs, degree courses (Bachelor, Master’s, or Ph.D.), or vocational training (trade schools).

Which countries have the most educated countries in the world?

It was estimated in a UNESCO study published in 2017 that the number of students enrolled in universities and colleges throughout the globe rose from 100 million in 2000 to 207 million by 2014.

Where do people go to school more than somewhere else? Because “most educated” is an ambiguous word, it’s not as simple as one would think to answer this question.

The following would be deemed more knowledgeable, as an example: 50 percent of the population has finished secondary school, while 25 percent has earned a tertiary degree. Is it better to live in a nation where everyone has completed secondary school but no one has earned a tertiary degree?




Multiple surveys and research have attempted to establish which nations have the most educated populace despite the ambiguity of the idea.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD, has announced its 2018 ranking of its most educated nations.

A list of the 10 most educated nations in the world (OECD 2018)

  1. Canada — 56.27%
  2. Japan — 50.50%
  3. Israel — 49.90%
  4. South Korea — 46.86%
  5. United Kingdom — 45.96%
  6. United States — 45.67%
  7. Australia — 43.74%
  8. Finland — 43.60%
  9. Norway — 43.02%
  10. Luxembourg — 42.86%

A two-year or four-year degree or a vocational training program is included in the OECD’s ranking of countries with the highest percentages of citizens aged 25 to 64 who have finished post-secondary education.

According to OECD statistics, with 56.71 percent of persons satisfying OECD standards, Canada is the most educated nation in the world. Israel comes in second with 50.92 percent, followed by Japan with 51.44%.




It’s worth mentioning, however, that this list compares just 43 nations that are members or partners of the OECD, excluding over 150 countries that are not members of the OCED.

These rankings also alter if the data are broken out by age range. Comparisons of 55-64-year-olds to percentages of 25-34-year-olds may be seen in the tables below. These kinds of comparisons provide light on which nations are rising and decreasing their funding for education.

OECD 2021: Percentage of Citizens Who Have Completed Tertiary Education (by Generation)

Ranking55-64 year-olds%25-34 year-olds%
1Russia50.3South Korea69.8
2Canada50.0Canada64.4
3Israel46.1Russia62.1
4Japan44.5Japan61.5
5United States44.3Ireland58.4
6Finland42.9Luxembourg58.2
7United Kingdom39.4Lithuania56.2
8Estonia39.2United Kingdom55.8
9Australia36.3Australia54.6
10Switzerland34.7Switzerland53.0

The importance of education




According to the Global Partnership for Education, education is essential to human, societal, and economic growth. Gender parity, fewer child marriages, world peace, and longer, healthier life are possible outcomes of a well-educated population.

Education is considered a human right by the Global Partnership for Education. It provides people with more chances in life, such as improved health and the capacity to engage in politics.

Also See: Literacy Rate by Country 2022

Based on statistics collected by the OECD in 2021, the table below shows the proportion of persons in each nation who have completed tertiary education, upper secondary education, and lower secondary school.




Country% Tertiary% Upper Secondary% Below Upper Secondary2022 Population
Canada6032.50007.600038388.4190
Russia56.700038.50004.8000145805.9470
Japan52.7000125584.8380
Luxembourg51.300022.800025.8000642.3710
South Korea50.700038.600010.600051329.8990
Israel50.100037.9000128922.8920
United States50.100041.70008.3000334805.2690
Ireland49.900035.500014.50005020.1990
United Kingdom49.400032.300018.300068497.9070
Australia49.300034.400016.200026068.7920
Finland47.900043.30008.80005554.9600
Norway45.300037.200017.50005511.3700
Switzerland45.30004410.70008773.6370
Sweden44.600039.300016.100010218.9710
Lithuania44.100049.50006.40002661.7080
Netherlands42.600038.40001917211.4470
Belgium42.400037.300020.200011668.2780
Estonia42.200048.40009.30001321.9100
Iceland40.600035.300024.1000345.3930
New Zealand40.100040.800019.10004898.2030
Spain39.700023.200037.100046719.1420
France39.700041.800018.500065584.5180
Denmark39.30004218.60005834.9500
Latvia37.800051.600010.50001848.8370
Slovenia35.900054.40009.80002078.0340
Argentina35.70002836.400046010.2340
Austria34.200051.500014.30009066.7100
Greece32.700043.700023.600010316.6370
Poland32.400060.40006.800037739.7850
Germany31.300054.900013.900083883.5960
Portugal28.200027.200044.600010140.5700
Hungary27.200058.400014.40009606.2590
Slovakia26.800065.70007.50005460.1930
Chile25.200042.300032.600019250.1950
Costa Rica25.100017.600057.30005182.3540
Czech Republic24.900069.20005.900010736.7840
Colombia24.600034.200041.200051512.7620
Saudi Arabia23.600032.900043.500035844.9090
Turkey2219.700058.300085561.9760
Italy20.100042.700037.100060262.7700
Brazil20.100036.900043215353.5930
Mexico19.400022.200058.4000131562.7720
South Africa15.800031.800052.300060756.1350
Indonesia11.90002662.1000279134.5050




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