EU regions (NUTS 2) by adults without upper secondary education, ages 25 to 64

Região Autónoma dos Açores had the highest adults without upper secondary education, ages 25 to 64 of 243 regions in 2021, at 62.3%. Praha had the lowest, at 2%. The median was 18.1% and the figure for the European Union (27) was 20.9%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

Highest62.3Região Autónoma dos Açores

Lowest2Praha

Median18.1243 regions

European Union (27)20.9History

Top 40 regions, 2021

%. Source: Eurostat, Population by educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region, less than primary, primary and lower secondary education (levels 0 to 2), 25 to 64 years (edat_lfse_04). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

Rank	Regions	2021 (%)	Change on 2020
1	Região Autónoma dos Açores Series break	62.3	-1.4 pts
2	Guyane Series break	52.3	+0.8 pts
3	Região Autónoma da Madeira Series break	51.8	-2.8 pts
4	Extremadura Series break	50.3	-2 pts
5	Norte Series break	49.5	-2.6 pts
6	Oeste e Vale do Tejo Series break	49.1	-1.8 pts
7	Puglia Series break	48.3	-0.3 pts
8	Ceuta Series break	48	-1.2 pts
9	Alentejo Series break	47.6	-2.1 pts
9	Sicilia Series break	47.6	-0.3 pts
11	Campania Series break	46.6	0 pts
12	Melilla Series break	46.1	+4.2 pts
13	Castilla-La Mancha Series break	45.9	-1.4 pts
14	Sardegna Series break	45.8	-0.1 pts
15	Algarve Series break	45.2	-0.8 pts
16	Andalusia Series break	45	-1.7 pts
16	Region of Murcia Series break	45	-0.9 pts
18	Centro (PT) Series break	44.7	-2.3 pts
19	Calabria Series break	44.3	-1.2 pts
20	La Réunion Series break	39.2	-0.7 pts
21	Canary Islands Series break	39.1	-0.4 pts
22	Valencian Community Series break	38.2	+0.5 pts
23	Valle d’Aosta/Vallée d’Aoste Series break	38	-0.8 pts
24	Guadeloupe Series break	37.2	-1.9 pts
25	Malta Series break	37.1	-3.4 pts
26	Molise Series break	36.9	-0.3 pts
27	Basilicata Series break	36.7	0 pts
27	Galicia Series break	36.7	-0.8 pts
29	Castile and León Series break	36.5	-0.9 pts
30	La Rioja Series break	36.2	-1.8 pts
31	Balearic Islands Series break	35.8	-1.3 pts
31	Piemonte Series break	35.8	-0.4 pts
33	Catalonia Series break	35.1	-1.1 pts
33	Lombardia Series break	35.1	+0.1 pts
35	Toscana Series break	34.7	-0.5 pts
36	Veneto Series break	34.5	+0.2 pts
37	Marche Series break	34	-0.8 pts
38	Península de Setúbal Series break	33.3	-5.9 pts
39	Anatoliki Makedonia, Thraki Series break	32.9	+0.8 pts
40	Dytiki Elláda Series break	32.7	-0.9 pts
41	Abruzzo Series break	31.7	-0.4 pts
41	Cantabria Series break	31.7	-0.6 pts
43	Emilia-Romagna Series break	31.3	+0.2 pts
44	Liguria Series break	31	+0.4 pts
45	Aragon Series break	30.9	-1.6 pts
45	Asturias Series break	30.9	-0.2 pts
47	Ionia Nisia Series break	30.8	+1.1 pts
48	Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano/Bozen Series break	30.3	+0.8 pts
49	Provincia Autonoma di Trento Series break	29.6	-0.3 pts
50	Friuli-Venezia Giulia Series break	29.4	+0.6 pts
51	Martinique Series break	29.2	-3.3 pts
52	Sterea Elláda Series break	29	+1.2 pts
53	Lazio Series break	28.7	-0.2 pts
53	Umbria Series break	28.7	-0.1 pts
55	Navarre Series break	28.4	-0.4 pts
56	Corse Low reliability	27.5	+4.3 pts
57	Grande Lisboa Series break	27.1	-2.2 pts
57	Kriti Series break	27.1	+2.8 pts
59	Peloponnisos Series break	26.9	-0.7 pts
59	Prov. Hainaut Series break	26.9	-0.6 pts
61	Sud-Est Series break	26.4	+1.2 pts
62	Ipeiros Series break	25.7	+0.7 pts
63	Community of Madrid Series break	25.6	+1.5 pts
63	Notio Aigaio Series break	25.6	-3.6 pts
65	Nord-Est Series break	25.3	-2.5 pts
66	Région de Bruxelles-Capitale/ Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest Series break	24.1	-2.8 pts
66	Voreio Aigaio Series break	24.1	+1.9 pts
68	Basque Country Series break	23.9	-0.8 pts
68	Dytiki Makedonia Series break	23.9	-2.1 pts
70	Bremen Series break	23.5	+3.5 pts
71	Picardie Series break	23	-2.9 pts
72	Sjælland Series break	22.5	+0.6 pts
73	Champagne-Ardenne Series break	22.4	-4.6 pts
74	Flevoland Series break	22.1	+1.8 pts
75	Thessalia Series break	21.9	-2.9 pts
76	Friesland (NL) Series break	21.8	+1.1 pts
77	Yugoiztochen Series break	21.7	+0.1 pts
78	Észak-Magyarország Series break	21.6	+0.8 pts
79	Weser-Ems Series break	21.5	+5.9 pts
80	Düsseldorf Series break	21.4	+2.2 pts
80	Sud-Muntenia Series break	21.4	-0.6 pts
82	Severoiztochen Series break	21.3	-0.1 pts
82	Zeeland Series break	21.3	-0.8 pts
84	Arnsberg Series break	21.1	+0.5 pts
85	Syddanmark Series break	21	+0.3 pts
85	Yuzhen tsentralen Series break	21	-1.5 pts
87	Prov. Liège Series break	20.8	-1.6 pts
88	Detmold Series break	20.7	+1.1 pts
88	Észak-Alföld Series break	20.7	+0.3 pts
88	Lorraine Series break	20.7	-0.4 pts
91	Centru Series break	20.6	+0.7 pts
91	Nordjylland Series break	20.6	-1.9 pts
93	Limburg (NL) Series break	20.5	-3.8 pts
94	Zuid-Holland Series break	20.4	+1.2 pts
95	Overijssel Series break	20.3	+0.2 pts
96	Severozapaden Series break	20.2	-0.1 pts
97	Languedoc-Roussillon Series break	19.9	+1.5 pts
98	Darmstadt Series break	19.8	+2 pts
98	Hannover Series break	19.8	+1.2 pts
100	Luxembourg Series break	19.7	-1.8 pts
100	Noord-Brabant Series break	19.7	+0.3 pts
102	Groningen Series break	19.6	+1.1 pts
102	Kentriki Makedonia Series break	19.6	-0.5 pts
102	Nord-Pas de Calais Series break	19.6	-1 pts
105	Drenthe Series break	19.5	-1.3 pts
105	Münster Series break	19.5	+4.4 pts
107	Basse-Normandie Series break	19.3	-2.2 pts
108	Bourgogne Series break	19.2	+2.9 pts
108	Köln Series break	19.2	+1.5 pts
108	Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Series break	19.2	0 pts
111	Centre - Val de Loire Series break	19.1	-1.5 pts
112	Gelderland Series break	19	-1.1 pts
112	Koblenz Series break	19	+2 pts
114	Gießen Series break	18.9	+2.3 pts
115	Prov. West-Vlaanderen Series break	18.7	+0.2 pts
116	Saarland Series break	18.5	+2.4 pts
117	Rheinhessen-Pfalz Series break	18.4	+2.9 pts
117	Sud-Vest Oltenia Series break	18.4	-1 pts
119	Haute-Normandie Series break	18.3	-2.6 pts
119	Panonska Hrvatska Series break	18.3	-2 pts
121	Noord-Holland Series break	18.2	+1.8 pts
122	Lüneburg Series break	18.1	+2.9 pts
123	Dél-Dunántúl Series break	18	-3.2 pts
124	Sjeverna Hrvatska Series break	17.9	-1.5 pts
125	Auvergne Series break	17.8	-1.5 pts
125	Prov. Antwerpen Series break	17.8	-2.9 pts
127	Poitou-Charentes Series break	17.7	+0.8 pts
127	Prov. Luxembourg (BE) Series break	17.7	-1.8 pts
129	Midtjylland Series break	17.5	-1.3 pts
130	Trier Series break	17.4	+3.4 pts
131	Braunschweig Series break	17.3	+0.9 pts
131	Vorarlberg Series break	17.3	-0.5 pts
133	Prov. Limburg (BE) Series break	17.2	-2.4 pts
133	Prov. Namur Series break	17.2	-2.5 pts
135	Ile-de-France Series break	17.1	+0.5 pts
135	Kassel Series break	17.1	+1.4 pts
135	Stuttgart Series break	17.1	+1.7 pts
135	Tübingen Series break	17.1	+1.1 pts
139	Franche-Comté Series break	16.9	+0.1 pts
139	Karlsruhe Series break	16.9	+2.1 pts
141	Wien Series break	16.6	-0.1 pts
142	Nord-Vest Series break	16.5	-1.7 pts
143	Alsace Series break	16.4	-0.2 pts
144	Freiburg Series break	16.3	+1.8 pts
145	Severen tsentralen Series break	15.8	-0.8 pts
146	Limousin Series break	15.7	-1.1 pts
147	Utrecht Series break	15.6	+1.9 pts
148	Kýpros Series break	15.5	-1.5 pts
148	Norra Mellansverige Series break	15.5	-1 pts
150	Mittelfranken Series break	14.8	+0.4 pts
150	Sydsverige Series break	14.8	-0.1 pts
152	Åland Low reliability	14.7	+1.5 pts
153	Berlin Series break	14.6	+1.7 pts
154	Rhône-Alpes Series break	14.5	-1.5 pts
155	Småland med öarna Series break	14.4	-1.2 pts
156	Northern and Western Series break	14.3	-0.6 pts
156	Tirol Series break	14.3	-1.5 pts
158	Oberösterreich Series break	14.2	+0.1 pts
158	Schleswig-Holstein Series break	14.2	+1.6 pts
160	Pays de la Loire Series break	14.1	-1.7 pts
161	Hamburg Series break	14	-1.6 pts
162	Dél-Alföld Series break	13.9	-0.8 pts
162	Schwaben Series break	13.9	+1.3 pts
164	Östra Mellansverige Series break	13.8	-1.6 pts
165	Aquitaine Series break	13.7	-3.7 pts
165	Southern Series break	13.7	-2.2 pts
165	Unterfranken Series break	13.7	+4.5 pts
165	Vest Series break	13.7	+1.7 pts
169	Warmińsko-mazurskie Series break	13.6	+0.1 pts
170	Hovedstaden Series break	13.5	-0.7 pts
170	Közép-Dunántúl Series break	13.5	-1 pts
172	Midi-Pyrénées Series break	13.2	-0.3 pts
172	Niederbayern Series break	13.2	+1.2 pts
172	Prov. Oost-Vlaanderen Series break	13.2	-3.3 pts
175	Steiermark Series break	13.1	-1 pts
176	Burgenland Series break	13	-0.2 pts
177	Bretagne Series break	12.9	-1.5 pts
178	Niederösterreich Series break	12.8	-0.1 pts
179	Oberfranken Series break	12.5	+2.4 pts
179	Prov. Vlaams-Brabant Low reliability	12.5	+0.3 pts
181	Helsinki-Uusimaa Series break	12.4	+3 pts
182	Västsverige Series break	12.3	-0.6 pts
183	Nyugat-Dunántúl Series break	12	+0.5 pts
183	Salzburg Series break	12	0 pts
183	Severozápad Series break	12	-1 pts
186	Oberbayern Series break	11.9	+1.5 pts
187	Etelä-Suomi Series break	11.8	+2.2 pts
188	Oberpfalz Series break	11.6	+0.6 pts
189	Attiki Series break	11.2	-2.1 pts
189	Eastern and Midland Series break	11.2	-2.3 pts
191	Prov. Brabant wallon Series break	10.7	-0.7 pts
192	Eesti Series break	10.5	-0.2 pts
193	Kärnten Series break	10.4	+0.4 pts
194	Jadranska Hrvatska Series break	10.3	+0.9 pts
195	Východné Slovensko Series break	10.2	-0.1 pts
195	Vzhodna Slovenija Series break	10.2	-0.6 pts
197	Pohjois- ja Itä-Suomi Series break	10.1	+1.8 pts
197	Stockholm Series break	10.1	-1.3 pts
199	Pest Series break	10	-0.8 pts
200	Łódzkie Series break	9.6	+1.8 pts
200	Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Series break	9.6	+1.4 pts
202	Länsi-Suomi Series break	9.5	+1.3 pts
203	Mellersta Norrland Series break	9.3	-3.2 pts
204	Brandenburg Series break	9.2	+1.2 pts
205	Podlaskie Series break	8.6	-0.4 pts
206	Övre Norrland Series break	8.4	-1.1 pts
207	Zachodniopomorskie Series break	8.3	-0.8 pts
208	Kujawsko-pomorskie Series break	8	-1.6 pts
208	Lubelskie Series break	8	+0.6 pts
210	Yugozapaden Series break	7.9	+0.3 pts
211	Latvija Series break	7.8	-0.5 pts
211	Mazowiecki regionalny Series break	7.8	-1.3 pts
213	Bucureşti-Ilfov Series break	7.7	-1.3 pts
214	Sachsen-Anhalt Series break	7.3	-1.3 pts
215	Thüringen Series break	7.2	+1.2 pts
216	Leipzig Series break	7.1	-0.2 pts
217	Zahodna Slovenija Series break	7	-1.6 pts
218	Jihozápad Series break	6.7	+0.5 pts
218	Małopolskie Series break	6.7	+0.5 pts
220	Lubuskie Series break	6.6	-0.8 pts
221	Podkarpackie Series break	6.5	-0.1 pts
221	Stredné Slovensko Series break	6.5	-0.3 pts
223	Pomorskie Series break	6.4	-0.2 pts
223	Świętokrzyskie Series break	6.4	-0.2 pts
225	Vidurio ir vakarų Lietuvos regionas Series break	6.3	+0.7 pts
226	Dolnośląskie Series break	6.2	+0.8 pts
226	Moravskoslezsko Series break	6.2	-0.1 pts
228	Opolskie Series break	5.5	-0.6 pts
229	Severovýchod Series break	5.4	-0.4 pts
230	Chemnitz Series break	5.3	-0.2 pts
230	Wielkopolskie Series break	5.3	-0.6 pts
232	Střední Morava Series break	5.2	-0.7 pts
232	Západné Slovensko Series break	5.2	-1.4 pts
234	Dresden Series break	5	+0.1 pts
235	Střední Čechy Series break	4.9	0 pts
236	Śląskie Series break	4.8	+0.5 pts
237	Budapest Series break	4.5	-2.1 pts
238	Jihovýchod Series break	4.1	-0.7 pts
239	Grad Zagreb Series break	3.9	-1.4 pts
240	Warszawski stołeczny Series break	3.5	+0.3 pts
241	Bratislavský kraj Series break	2.8	-0.7 pts
242	Sostinės regionas Series break	2.4	0 pts
243	Praha Series break	2	-0.3 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 25 to 64 whose highest completed level of education is lower secondary at most (ISCED 2011 levels 0 to 2: less than primary, primary and lower secondary), as a percentage of all people aged 25 to 64 living in private households (EU Labour Force Survey).

Upper secondary is the level reached at about 18, such as the Spanish bachillerato or a vocational qualification of the same level.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the regions are compared on one definition. 1 regions with data in other periods have no value for 2021 and are left out rather than filled from another source. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Eurostat. Population by educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region, less than primary, primary and lower secondary education (levels 0 to 2), 25 to 64 years (edat_lfse_04). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_04/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

Eurostat, European Commission. (2026). Population by educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region, less than primary, primary and lower secondary education (levels 0 to 2), 25 to 64 years (edat_lfse_04) (EU regions (NUTS 2) by adults without upper secondary education, ages 25 to 64, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_04/default/table

MLA 9

Population by educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region, less than primary, primary and lower secondary education (levels 0 to 2), 25 to 64 years (edat_lfse_04), EU regions (NUTS 2) by adults without upper secondary education, ages 25 to 64, 2021. Eurostat, European Commission, 10 Sept. 2026, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_04/default/table. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adults-without-upper-secondary-education-25-64/eu-regions?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Eurostat, European Commission. 2026. Population by educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region, less than primary, primary and lower secondary education (levels 0 to 2), 25 to 64 years (edat_lfse_04). EU regions (NUTS 2) by adults without upper secondary education, ages 25 to 64, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_04/default/table. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adults-without-upper-secondary-education-25-64/eu-regions?period=2021.

Harvard

Eurostat, European Commission (2026) Population by educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region, less than primary, primary and lower secondary education (levels 0 to 2), 25 to 64 years (edat_lfse_04), EU regions (NUTS 2) by adults without upper secondary education, ages 25 to 64, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_04/default/table, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/adults-without-upper-secondary-education-25-64/eu-regions?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{eurostat_eu_regions_nuts_2_2021,
  author = {{Eurostat, European Commission}},
  title = {{Population by educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region, less than primary, primary and lower secondary education (levels 0 to 2), 25 to 64 years (edat\_lfse\_04): EU regions (NUTS 2) by adults without upper secondary education, ages 25 to 64, 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_04/default/table},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adults-without-upper-secondary-education-25-64/eu-regions?period=2021. Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Population by educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region, less than primary, primary and lower secondary education (levels 0 to 2), 25 to 64 years (edat\_lfse\_04). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat\_lfse\_04/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}

RIS

TY  - DATA
AU  - Eurostat, European Commission
TI  - Population by educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region, less than primary, primary and lower secondary education (levels 0 to 2), 25 to 64 years (edat_lfse_04): EU regions (NUTS 2) by adults without upper secondary education, ages 25 to 64, 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/10
PB  - Eurostat, European Commission
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_04/default/table
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/adults-without-upper-secondary-education-25-64/eu-regions?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adults-without-upper-secondary-education-25-64/eu-regions?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Population by educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region, less than primary, primary and lower secondary education (levels 0 to 2), 25 to 64 years (edat_lfse_04). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_04/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

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Rank EU regions by adults without upper secondary education, ages 25 to 64 using official data, and cite the source.

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Questions

Which region has the highest adults without upper secondary education, ages 25 to 64?

Região Autónoma dos Açores, with 62.3% in 2021, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which region has the lowest adults without upper secondary education, ages 25 to 64?

Praha, with 2% in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Eurostat, European Commission, Population by educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region, less than primary, primary and lower secondary education (levels 0 to 2), 25 to 64 years (edat_lfse_04). Retrieved 2026-10-12. 1 regions have no value for 2021 and are not ranked.