UIS · Upper Secondary Completion Rate
Upper secondary completion rate by country
What share of young people finish upper secondary school?
South Korea placed first of the 164 countries compared in 2025, at 99.27%, and South Sudan last, at 2.13%. In the middle country the figure was 64.87%. Among the 160 countries measured in every edition since 1981, the middle one moved from 22.15% to 65.91%.
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Part ofEducation & Knowledge
Upper secondary completion rate · 2025
Key statistic · Education & Knowledge
Highest of 164South Korea
99.27%012025 · position · derived
Who leads
The three countries at the highest end of 164 compared, the three at the other end, and the first on each continent.
1Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
2Photo: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
3Photo: Wolfgang Steinkläubl · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Lowest in 2025
- 164
South Sudan2.13% - 163
Niger4.95% - 162
Central African Republic5.55%
Positions out of 164. Where a country sits says how it compares with the others measured, and nothing about why.
02Every measured country
Upper secondary completion rate on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value — the better end.
- 2.13–24.38%
- 24.40–49.35%
- 50.71–76.12%
- 76.72–89.14%
- 89.75–99.27%
- No reading in 2025
- Europe
87.53%
the middle country, of 39 measured · 49 members
Croatia98.20%
Iceland66.44%Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Asia
73.54%
the middle country, of 37 measured · 52 members
South Korea99.27%
Myanmar24.38%Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Americas
68.55%
the middle country, of 29 measured · 48 members
Barbados95.71%
Haiti18.48%Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Oceania
57.42%
the middle country, of 9 measured · 21 members
Australia89.14%
Vanuatu11.32%Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Africa
22.74%
the middle country, of 50 measured · 55 members
Egypt88.21%South Sudan2.13%Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Every region
22 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Central Asia
95.38%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Uzbekistan98.98%
Tajikistan85.22%Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Eastern Europe
91.61%
the middle country, of 10 measured · 10 members
Ukraine97.25%
Romania81.93%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Northern Europe
88.33%
the middle country, of 10 measured · 13 members
Ireland95.09%Iceland66.44%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Southern Europe
86.90%
the middle country, of 12 measured · 17 members
Croatia98.20%
Bosnia and Herzegovina66.46%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Western Europe
86.14%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
Switzerland92.96%
Netherlands79.98%Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Western Asia
85.12%
the middle country, of 12 measured · 19 members
Azerbaijan95.87%
Syria36.81%Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Caribbean
84.85%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 24 members
Barbados95.71%Haiti18.48%Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- South America
69.67%
the middle country, of 12 measured · 12 members
Chile86.87%
Suriname34.48%Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- South-eastern Asia
56.72%
the middle country, of 9 measured · 11 members
Philippines73.54%Myanmar24.38%Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Northern Africa
48.52%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 6 members
Egypt88.21%
Morocco27.02%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Central America
44.46%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members
Panama64.22%
Belize19.45%Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Southern Asia
41.49%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 9 members
Bhutan76.82%
Afghanistan36.28%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Southern Africa
37.73%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Botswana65.38%
Lesotho28.44%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
- Middle Africa
22.78%
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
São Tomé and Príncipe55.09%Central African Republic5.55%Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- Western Africa
16.89%
the middle country, of 15 measured · 16 members
Nigeria57.75%Niger4.95%Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- Eastern Africa
16.61%
the middle country, of 16 measured · 19 members
Mauritius55.96%South Sudan2.13%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Australia and New Zealand
1 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia.
Australia89.14%Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Eastern Asia
3 of 8 measured — too few for a middle: China, Mongolia, South Korea.
South Korea99.27%
China89.82%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Melanesia
3 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu.
Fiji58.98%Vanuatu11.32%Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Micronesia
2 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Kiribati, Nauru.
Nauru49.35%
Kiribati21.42%Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.
- Northern America
2 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Canada, United States.
United States93.50%
Canada88.41%Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
- Polynesia
3 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu.
Tonga86.21%
Tuvalu57.42%Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.
03The whole field at once
The spread
164 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 64.87%; a quarter are above 87.28%, and a quarter below 33.18%. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 164 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. “=” marks a position shared with another country. UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) ranks nobody on this measure; the position is derived here by ordering the published values. Because the series is modelled, small differences between neighbouring countries are within the model’s uncertainty; large gaps are real.
Showing 25 of 164 countries
Values for 2025. The change column compares 2025 with 2024 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
051981–2025 · 45 editions
Over time
Each point is one year of UNESCO’s modelled series, which combines household surveys with administrative data. Recent years are estimates for countries that have not surveyed lately.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 160 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 164 | 64.87% | 33.18% – 87.28% | 65.91% |
| 2024 | 160 | 65.03% | 32.51% – 87.04% | 65.03% |
| 2023 | 160 | 64.22% | 31.79% – 86.79% | 64.22% |
| 2022 | 160 | 63.64% | 31.19% – 85.88% | 63.64% |
| 2021 | 160 | 62.95% | 29.20% – 85.31% | 62.95% |
| 2020 | 160 | 62.21% | 28.35% – 84.61% | 62.21% |
| 2019 | 160 | 61.49% | 27.80% – 84.37% | 61.49% |
| 2018 | 160 | 60.94% | 27.27% – 84.12% | 60.94% |
| 2017 | 160 | 60.45% | 25.99% – 83.56% | 60.45% |
| 2016 | 160 | 60.15% | 24.13% – 83.40% | 60.15% |
| 2015 | 160 | 58.86% | 23.08% – 82.99% | 58.86% |
| 2014 | 160 | 57.05% | 21.47% – 82.38% | 57.05% |
| 2013 | 160 | 54.70% | 20.23% – 81.62% | 54.70% |
| 2012 | 160 | 52.40% | 19.44% – 80.44% | 52.40% |
| 2011 | 160 | 50.86% | 18.64% – 79.42% | 50.86% |
| 2010 | 160 | 49.45% | 17.84% – 78.64% | 49.45% |
| 2009 | 160 | 48.55% | 16.95% – 77.80% | 48.55% |
| 2008 | 160 | 47.41% | 16.21% – 77.81% | 47.41% |
| 2007 | 160 | 46.23% | 15.59% – 77.94% | 46.23% |
| 2006 | 160 | 45.00% | 15.08% – 77.23% | 45.00% |
| 2005 | 160 | 43.83% | 14.64% – 76.60% | 43.83% |
| 2004 | 160 | 42.90% | 14.20% – 76.16% | 42.90% |
| 2003 | 160 | 41.65% | 13.71% – 75.76% | 41.65% |
| 2002 | 160 | 40.27% | 13.27% – 75.20% | 40.27% |
| 2001 | 160 | 38.99% | 12.91% – 74.54% | 38.99% |
| 2000 | 160 | 38.00% | 12.44% – 73.33% | 38.00% |
| 1999 | 160 | 36.86% | 12.02% – 72.82% | 36.86% |
| 1998 | 160 | 35.62% | 11.70% – 72.93% | 35.62% |
| 1997 | 160 | 34.47% | 11.34% – 73.54% | 34.47% |
| 1996 | 160 | 33.22% | 10.91% – 73.10% | 33.22% |
| 1995 | 160 | 32.86% | 10.54% – 72.44% | 32.86% |
| 1994 | 160 | 32.15% | 10.40% – 71.70% | 32.15% |
| 1993 | 160 | 31.70% | 10.25% – 71.01% | 31.70% |
| 1992 | 160 | 30.68% | 9.98% – 70.25% | 30.68% |
| 1991 | 160 | 29.90% | 9.72% – 69.20% | 29.90% |
| 1990 | 160 | 28.51% | 9.45% – 68.49% | 28.51% |
| 1989 | 164 | 27.20% | 8.96% – 66.05% | 27.55% |
| 1988 | 164 | 26.62% | 8.92% – 64.67% | 27.14% |
| 1987 | 164 | 25.78% | 8.85% – 64.19% | 26.63% |
| 1986 | 164 | 24.82% | 8.53% – 63.82% | 25.50% |
| 1985 | 164 | 23.67% | 8.17% – 63.26% | 24.72% |
| 1984 | 164 | 23.11% | 7.57% – 62.52% | 23.78% |
| 1983 | 164 | 22.84% | 7.25% – 61.30% | 23.23% |
| 1982 | 164 | 22.36% | 7.04% – 60.60% | 23.04% |
| 1981 | 164 | 21.90% | 6.87% – 60.06% | 22.15% |
062024 → 2025
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Improved most
before → afterDeclined most
before → afterNo country moved this way.
160 countries were measured in both 2024 and 2025. The field changed from 160 to 164 countries, so a place can move for reasons that have nothing to do with the country itself.
07Across every edition
Upper secondary completion rate in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
99.27%
Upper secondary completion rate (%)
Lowest reading on record
0.42%
Upper secondary completion rate (%)
Biggest improvement between editions
+4.47
51.92% → 56.39%
Biggest decline between editions
−2.60
21.18% → 18.58%
Most improved since first measured
+77.09
17.16% → 94.25%
At the top most often
45 of 45
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08By sex
Inside the number
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) also publishes separate female and male readings. The gap between them, where both exist.
Of the 164 countries with both readings, the female reading is higher in 125, the male reading in 39. The widest gaps each way:
09The measure
About upper secondary completion rate
The upper secondary completion rate is the share of young people who finish the last stage of secondary school. It is where the gap between countries is widest: in some almost everyone finishes, in others fewer than one in ten.
What the number is: Upper secondary completion rate (%).
What it does not measure
It counts completion, not the quality of what was learned, and it does not include vocational routes a country may run outside upper secondary school.
10Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
A key statistic for Education & Knowledge
“How far a schooling system carries the young people who get through primary — the only key here that measures anything past childhood.”
- Edition used
- 2025 (data 2025)
- Countries
- 164
- Licence
- CC BY-SA 4.0
Moves with
Where upper secondary completion rate is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- Lower Secondary Completion RateUIS · 164 countries in commonρ 0.91
- Upper Secondary AttainmentUIS · 85 countries in commonρ 0.87
- Primary Completion RateUIS · 164 countries in commonρ 0.86
Moves against
Where upper secondary completion rate is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Global Multidimensional Poverty IndexOPHI · 101 countries in commonρ −0.84
- Coefficient of Human InequalityUNDP Human Development Report Office · 154 countries in commonρ −0.83
- Maternal Mortality RatioKeyMMEIG · 164 countries in commonρ −0.82
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 375 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
11Keep reading
Explore further
The subject
The countries at either end
12Questions
Upper secondary completion rate: questions and answers
Which country has the highest upper secondary completion rate?
South Korea, at 99.27%, among the 164 countries compared in 2025.
Which country has the lowest upper secondary completion rate?
South Sudan, at 2.13%, among the 164 countries compared in 2025.
How many countries does the Upper Secondary Completion Rate cover?
164 in 2025. The number measured varies from 160 to 164 between editions.
What is the world average upper secondary completion rate?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 164 compared in 2025, the figure was 64.87%.
Is this UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)’s own ranking?
No. UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) publishes the values but ranks nobody; the position on this page is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values, and equal values share a position.
How often is the Upper Secondary Completion Rate published?
This site holds 45 editions, describing 1981 to 2025.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), under CC BY-SA 4.0. From the UNESCO Institute for Statistics modelled completion series. Female and male rates are stored beside the headline. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
13Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Upper Secondary Completion Rate — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
From the UNESCO Institute for Statistics modelled completion series. Female and male rates are stored beside the headline.
Newest edition
Report year 2025Data year 2025
Cite the source as: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. UIS Data Browser. Montreal: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0, checked 2026-09-05.
How this page reads the numbers
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) ranks nobody on this measure. The position is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values; equal values share a position.
- Which end is better follows the publisher’s own reading of the measure.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Photographs
The countries at the top of this statistic, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- South Korea — Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Uzbekistan — Jean-Pierre Dalbéra, CC BY 2.0
- Croatia — Wolfgang Steinkläubl, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Upper secondary completion rate by country: Upper Secondary Completion Rate, data from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/upper-secondary-completion