These are the 10 most educated countries in the world.
1. Canada
> Pct. population with postsecondary education: 50%
> Avg. annual growth rate (1999 – 2009): 2.3% (5th lowest)
> GDP per capita: $39,070 (10th highest)
> Pop. change (2000 – 2009): 9.89% (10th highest)
In Canada, 50% of the adult population has completed tertiary
education, easily the highest rate in the
OECD. Each year, public and
private expenditure on education amount to 2.5% of GDP, the
fourth-highest rate in the world. Tertiary education spending accounts
for 41% of total education spending in the country. In the U.S., the
proportion is closer to 37%. In Israel, the rate is 22%. In Canada,
nearly 25% of students have an immigrant background.
2. Israel
> Pct. population with postsecondary education: 45%
> Avg. annual growth rate (1999 – 2009): N/A
> GDP per capita: $28,596 (12th lowest)
> Pop. change (2000 – 2009): 19.02% (the highest)
Although there is no data on the percentage of Israeli citizens with
postsecondary education dating back to 1999, the numbers going back to
2002 show that growth is slowing dramatically compared to other
countries. In fact, in 2006, 46% of adults ages 25 to 64 had a tertiary
education. In 2007 this number fell to 44%. Only 78% of funds spent on
educational institutions in Israel are public funds. The country is also
only one of three — the other two being Ireland and Sweden — where
expenditure on educational institutions as a proportion of GDP decreased
from 2000 to 2008. Israel also had the largest increase in overall
population, approximately 19% from 2000 to 2009.
3. Japan
> Pct. population with postsecondary education: 44%
> Avg. annual growth rate (1999 – 2009): 3.2% (10th lowest)
> GDP per capita: $33,751 (17th lowest)
> Pop. change (2000 – 2009): 0.46% (6th lowest)
In Japan, 44% of the adult population has some form of tertiary education. The U.S. by comparison has a rate of 41%. Japan’s
population increased just 0.46% between 2000 and 2009, the
sixth-slowest growth rate in the OECD, and the slowest among our list of
10. Japan is tied with Finland for the third-highest upper-secondary
graduation rate in the world, at 95%. It has the third-highest tertiary
graduation rate in the world, but only spends the equivalent of 1.5% of
GDP on tertiary education — the 17th lowest rate in the OECD.
4. United States
> Pct. population with postsecondary education: 41%
> Avg. annual growth rate (1999 – 2009): 1.4% (the lowest)
> GDP per capita: $46,588 (4th highest)
> Pop. change (2000 – 2009): 8.68% (12th highest)
The U.S. experienced a fairly large growth in population from 2000 to
2009. During the period, the population increased 8.68% — the 12th
highest among OECD countries. Meanwhile, the rate at which the share of
the population with a tertiary education is growing has slowed to an
annual rate of 1.4% — the lowest among the 34 OECD countries. Just 71%
of funding for educational institutions in the country comes from public
funds, placing the U.S. sixth-lowest in this measure. Among OECD
countries, the largest share of adults with a tertiary education live in
the United States — 25.8%.
5. New Zealand
> Pct. population with postsecondary education: 40%
> Avg. annual growth rate (1999 – 2009): 3.5% (14th lowest)
> GDP per capita: $29,871 (14th lowest)
> Pop. change (2000 – 2009): 11.88% (8th largest)
New Zealand is not a particularly wealthy country. GDP per capita is
less than $30,000, and is the 14th lowest in the OECD. However, 40% of
the population engages in tertiary education, the fifth-highest rate in
the world. The country actually has a rapidly growing population,
increasing 11.88% between 2000 and 2009. This was the eighth-largest
increase in the OECD. Part of the reason for the high rate of tertiary
graduates is the high output from secondary schools. More than 90% of
residents graduate from secondary school.
6. South Korea
> Pct. population with postsecondary education: 39%
> Avg. annual growth rate (1999 – 2009): 5.3% (5th highest)
> GDP per capita: $29,101 (13th lowest)
> Pop. change (2000 – 2009): 3.70% (14th lowest)
Korea is another standout country for its recent increase in the
percentage of its population that has a tertiary education. Graduates
increased 5.3% between 1999 and 2009, the fifth-highest among OECD
countries. Like the UK, this rate is greater than the country’s recent
population growth. Korea is also one of only two countries — the other
being Finland — in which the most popular fields of study are not social
sciences, business and law. In Korea, new students choose to study
education, humanities and arts at the greatest rates. Only 59.6% of
expenditures on educational institutions come from public funds — the
second-lowest rate.
7. Norway
> Pct. population with postsecondary education: 37%
> Avg. annual growth rate (1999 – 2009): N/A
> GDP per capita: $56,617 (2nd highest)
> Pop. change (2000 – 2009): 7.52% (14th highest)
Norway has the third-greatest expenditure on educational institutions
as a percentage of GDP, at 7.3%. Roughly 23% of that is spent on
tertiary education. In Norway, more than 60% of all tertiary graduates
were in a bachelor’s program, well more than the U.S., which is close to
the OECD average of 45%. The country is one of the wealthiest in the
world. GDP per capita is $56,617, second only to Luxembourg in the OECD.
8. United Kingdom
> Pct. population with postsecondary education: 37%
> Avg. annual growth rate (1999 – 2009): 4.0% (9th highest)
> GDP per capita: $35,504 (16th highest)
> Pop. change (2000 – 2009): 3.47% (13th lowest)
Unlike most of the countries with the highest percentage of educated
adults, the UK’s educated group increased measurably — more than 4%
between 1999 and 2009. Its entire population only grew 3.5% between 2000
and 2009. One aspect that the UK does share with a number of other
countries on this list is relatively low public expenditure on education
institutions as a percentage of all educational spending. As of 2008,
69.5% of spending came from public sources — the fourth-smallest amount
among OECD countries.
9. Australia
> Pct. population with postsecondary education: 37%
> Avg. annual growth rate (1999 – 2009): 3.3% (11th lowest)
> GDP per capita: $40,719 (6th highest)
> Pop. change (2000 – 2009): 14.63% (3rd highest)
Australia’s population grew 14.63% between 2000 and 2009. This is the
third-largest increase among OECD countries. Its tertiary-educated
adult population is increasing at the much less impressive annual rate
of 3.3%. Australia also spends the sixth-least amount in public funds on
education as a percentage of all expenditures. The country also draws
large numbers of international students.
10. Finland
> Pct. population with postsecondary education: 37%
> Avg. annual growth rate (1999 – 2009): 1.8% (3rd lowest)
> GDP per capita: $36,585 (14th highest)
> Pop. change (2000 – 2009): 3.15% (10th lowest)
Finland is a small country relative to the other OECD members. The
share of its adult population with some sort of postsecondary education,
however, is rather large. This select group is reaching the end of its
expansion. From 1999 to 2009, the number of college-educated adults
increased only 1.8% annually — the third-smallest amount among all OECD
countries. Finland is also one of only two countries, the other being
Korea, in which the fields of social sciences, business and law are not
the most popular among students. In Finland, new entrants are most
likely to study engineering, manufacturing and construction.