Regions of Germany (NUTS 2) by adults without upper secondary education, ages 25 to 64

Bremen had the highest adults without upper secondary education, ages 25 to 64 of 38 regions in 2021, at 23.5%. Dresden had the lowest, at 5%. The median was 17% and the figure for Germany was 16%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

Highest23.5Bremen

Lowest5Dresden

Median1738 regions

Germany16History

All 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	Bremen Series break	23.5	+3.5 pts
2	Weser-Ems Series break	21.5	+5.9 pts
3	Düsseldorf Series break	21.4	+2.2 pts
4	Arnsberg Series break	21.1	+0.5 pts
5	Detmold Series break	20.7	+1.1 pts
6	Darmstadt Series break	19.8	+2 pts
6	Hannover Series break	19.8	+1.2 pts
8	Münster Series break	19.5	+4.4 pts
9	Köln Series break	19.2	+1.5 pts
10	Koblenz Series break	19	+2 pts
11	Gießen Series break	18.9	+2.3 pts
12	Saarland Series break	18.5	+2.4 pts
13	Rheinhessen-Pfalz Series break	18.4	+2.9 pts
14	Lüneburg Series break	18.1	+2.9 pts
15	Trier Series break	17.4	+3.4 pts
16	Braunschweig Series break	17.3	+0.9 pts
17	Kassel Series break	17.1	+1.4 pts
17	Stuttgart Series break	17.1	+1.7 pts
17	Tübingen Series break	17.1	+1.1 pts
20	Karlsruhe Series break	16.9	+2.1 pts
21	Freiburg Series break	16.3	+1.8 pts
22	Mittelfranken Series break	14.8	+0.4 pts
23	Berlin Series break	14.6	+1.7 pts
24	Schleswig-Holstein Series break	14.2	+1.6 pts
25	Hamburg Series break	14	-1.6 pts
26	Schwaben Series break	13.9	+1.3 pts
27	Unterfranken Series break	13.7	+4.5 pts
28	Niederbayern Series break	13.2	+1.2 pts
29	Oberfranken Series break	12.5	+2.4 pts
30	Oberbayern Series break	11.9	+1.5 pts
31	Oberpfalz Series break	11.6	+0.6 pts
32	Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Series break	9.6	+1.4 pts
33	Brandenburg Series break	9.2	+1.2 pts
34	Sachsen-Anhalt Series break	7.3	-1.3 pts
35	Thüringen Series break	7.2	+1.2 pts
36	Leipzig Series break	7.1	-0.2 pts
37	Chemnitz Series break	5.3	-0.2 pts
38	Dresden Series break	5	+0.1 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. 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) (Regions of Germany (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), Regions of Germany (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/germany-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). Regions of Germany (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/germany-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), Regions of Germany (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/germany-regions?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{eurostat_regions_of_germany_nuts_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): Regions of Germany (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/germany-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): Regions of Germany (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/germany-regions?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adults-without-upper-secondary-education-25-64/germany-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 Regions of Germany by adults without upper secondary education, ages 25 to 64 using official data, and cite the source.

rank_places {"indicator":"below_upper_secondary_share_25_64","level":"region","within":"Germany","limit":10}
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Questions

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

Bremen, with 23.5% in 2021, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

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

Dresden, with 5% 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.