Data / Rankings / Tertiary education attainment, ages 25 to 34 / EU countries

EU countries by tertiary education attainment, ages 25 to 34

Luxembourg had the highest tertiary education attainment, ages 25 to 34 of 27 EU countries in 2021, at 62.6%. Romania had the lowest, at 23.3%. The median was 44.2% and the figure for the European Union (27) was 41.5%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

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Highest62.6Luxembourg
Lowest23.3Romania
Median44.227 EU countries
European Union (27)41.5History

Map of EU countries, 2021

Austria: 42.4 %Belgium: 50.9 %Bulgaria: 33.8 %Cyprus: 58.8 %Czechia: 34.9 %Germany: 36.9 %Denmark: 49.1 %Estonia: 43.2 %Spain: 48.5 %Finland: 40.1 %France: 50.3 %Greece: 44.2 %Croatia: 36.2 %Hungary: 33.4 %Ireland: 62.2 %Italy: 28.3 %Lithuania: 57.5 %Luxembourg: 62.6 %Latvia: 45.5 %Malta: 42.9 %Netherlands: 55.6 %Poland: 41.8 %Portugal: 45.9 %Romania: 23.3 %Sweden: 49.3 %Slovenia: 47.9 %Slovakia: 39.5 %
  • Under 36
  • 36 to 43
  • 43 to 47
  • 47 to 51
  • 51 and over
%, 2021. Source: Eurostat, Population by educational attainment level, tertiary education (levels 5 to 8), 25 to 34 years (edat_lfse_03). Boundaries: Natural Earth (public domain).

All EU countries, 2021

Luxembourg: 62.6 %Luxembourg62.6Ireland: 62.2 %Ireland62.2Cyprus: 58.8 %Cyprus58.8Lithuania: 57.5 %Lithuania57.5Netherlands: 55.6 %Netherlands55.6Belgium: 50.9 %Belgium50.9France: 50.3 %France50.3Sweden: 49.3 %Sweden49.3Denmark: 49.1 %Denmark49.1Spain: 48.5 %Spain48.5Slovenia: 47.9 %Slovenia47.9Portugal: 45.9 %Portugal45.9Latvia: 45.5 %Latvia45.5Greece: 44.2 %Greece44.2Estonia: 43.2 %Estonia43.2Malta: 42.9 %Malta42.9Austria: 42.4 %Austria42.4Poland: 41.8 %Poland41.8Finland: 40.1 %Finland40.1Slovakia: 39.5 %Slovakia39.5Germany: 36.9 %Germany36.9Croatia: 36.2 %Croatia36.2Czechia: 34.9 %Czechia34.9Bulgaria: 33.8 %Bulgaria33.8Hungary: 33.4 %Hungary33.4Italy: 28.3 %Italy28.3Romania: 23.3 %Romania23.3Luxembourg: 62.6 %Luxembourg62.6Ireland: 62.2 %Ireland62.2Cyprus: 58.8 %Cyprus58.8Lithuania: 57.5 %Lithuania57.5Netherlands: 55.6 %Netherlands55.6Belgium: 50.9 %Belgium50.9France: 50.3 %France50.3Sweden: 49.3 %Sweden49.3Denmark: 49.1 %Denmark49.1Spain: 48.5 %Spain48.5Slovenia: 47.9 %Slovenia47.9Portugal: 45.9 %Portugal45.9Latvia: 45.5 %Latvia45.5Greece: 44.2 %Greece44.2Estonia: 43.2 %Estonia43.2Malta: 42.9 %Malta42.9Austria: 42.4 %Austria42.4Poland: 41.8 %Poland41.8Finland: 40.1 %Finland40.1Slovakia: 39.5 %Slovakia39.5Germany: 36.9 %Germany36.9Croatia: 36.2 %Croatia36.2Czechia: 34.9 %Czechia34.9Bulgaria: 33.8 %Bulgaria33.8Hungary: 33.4 %Hungary33.4Italy: 28.3 %Italy28.3Romania: 23.3 %Romania23.3
%. Source: Eurostat, Population by educational attainment level, tertiary education (levels 5 to 8), 25 to 34 years (edat_lfse_03). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankEU countries2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Luxembourg Series break62.6+2 pts
2Ireland Series break62.2+3.8 pts
3Cyprus Series break58.8+1.4 pts
4Lithuania Series break57.5+1.3 pts
5Netherlands Series break55.6+3.3 pts
6Belgium Series break50.9+2.4 pts
7France Series break50.3+0.9 pts
8Sweden Series break49.3+0.1 pts
9Denmark Series break49.1+2 pts
10Spain Series break48.5+1.1 pts
11Slovenia Series break47.9+2.5 pts
12Portugal Series break45.9+4.2 pts
13Latvia Series break45.5+1.3 pts
14Greece Series break44.2+0.5 pts
15Estonia Series break43.2+3.1 pts
16Malta Series break42.9+2.7 pts
17Austria Series break42.4+1 pts
18Poland Series break41.8-1.9 pts
19Finland Series break40.1-3.7 pts
20Slovakia Series break39.5+0.5 pts
21Germany Series break36.9+1.6 pts
22Croatia Series break36.2-0.8 pts
23Czechia Series break34.9+1.9 pts
24Bulgaria Series break33.8+0.7 pts
25Hungary Series break33.4+2.4 pts
26Italy Series break28.3-0.3 pts
27Romania Series break23.3-1.6 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 25 to 34 whose highest completed level of education is tertiary (ISCED 2011 levels 5 to 8: short-cycle tertiary, bachelor's or equivalent, master's or equivalent, and doctoral), as a percentage of all people aged 25 to 34 living in private households (EU Labour Force Survey).

The EU has set a target of at least 45% by 2030 for this age group. It shows recent graduates; for the whole adult population use tertiary_attainment_share_25_64. Not comparable with the US bachelors_degree_share, which excludes associate degrees and covers everyone aged 25 and over.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the EU countries are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Eurostat. Population by educational attainment level, tertiary education (levels 5 to 8), 25 to 34 years (edat_lfse_03). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_03/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, tertiary education (levels 5 to 8), 25 to 34 years (edat_lfse_03) (EU countries by tertiary education attainment, ages 25 to 34, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_03/default/table

MLA 9

Population by educational attainment level, tertiary education (levels 5 to 8), 25 to 34 years (edat_lfse_03), EU countries by tertiary education attainment, ages 25 to 34, 2021. Eurostat, European Commission, 10 Sept. 2026, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_03/default/table. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/tertiary-education-attainment-25-34/eu-countries?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Eurostat, European Commission. 2026. Population by educational attainment level, tertiary education (levels 5 to 8), 25 to 34 years (edat_lfse_03). EU countries by tertiary education attainment, ages 25 to 34, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_03/default/table. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/tertiary-education-attainment-25-34/eu-countries?period=2021.

Harvard

Eurostat, European Commission (2026) Population by educational attainment level, tertiary education (levels 5 to 8), 25 to 34 years (edat_lfse_03), EU countries by tertiary education attainment, ages 25 to 34, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_03/default/table, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/tertiary-education-attainment-25-34/eu-countries?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{eurostat_eu_countries_by_tertiary_2021,
  author = {{Eurostat, European Commission}},
  title = {{Population by educational attainment level, tertiary education (levels 5 to 8), 25 to 34 years (edat\_lfse\_03): EU countries by tertiary education attainment, ages 25 to 34, 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_03/default/table},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/tertiary-education-attainment-25-34/eu-countries?period=2021. Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Population by educational attainment level, tertiary education (levels 5 to 8), 25 to 34 years (edat\_lfse\_03). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat\_lfse\_03/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - Eurostat, European Commission
TI  - Population by educational attainment level, tertiary education (levels 5 to 8), 25 to 34 years (edat_lfse_03): EU countries by tertiary education attainment, ages 25 to 34, 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/10
PB  - Eurostat, European Commission
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_03/default/table
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/tertiary-education-attainment-25-34/eu-countries?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/tertiary-education-attainment-25-34/eu-countries?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Population by educational attainment level, tertiary education (levels 5 to 8), 25 to 34 years (edat_lfse_03). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_03/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which EU country has the highest tertiary education attainment, ages 25 to 34?

Luxembourg, with 62.6% in 2021, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which EU country has the lowest tertiary education attainment, ages 25 to 34?

Romania, with 23.3% 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, tertiary education (levels 5 to 8), 25 to 34 years (edat_lfse_03). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Tertiary education attainment, ages 25 to 34: other rankings

EU countries: more rankings