In the front a graduate is being congratulated with a hug from another person. 3 graduates are standing in the background talking.

In 2023, 43% of the EU population aged 25-34 years had tertiary education (ISCED levels 5-8), a 1 percentage point (pp) increase compared with 2022 (42%). This is 2 pp below the EU's 2030 target, which aims for 45% of the EU population aged between 25-34 years to have tertiary education.

Tertiary education attainment in the EU, 2023. Bar chart. See link to full dataset below.

Source dataset: edat_lfse_03

There is a gender gap when it comes to tertiary education attainment among people aged 25-34, as a higher percentage of women have tertiary education compared with men (49% of women and 38% of men).

13 EU countries already reached the 2030 target

Data indicate that 13 EU countries already met the 2030 EU-level target: Ireland (63% of total population aged 25-34), Cyprus (62%), Luxembourg (60%), Lithuania (57%), the Netherlands (55%), Sweden (54%), Spain and France (both 52%), Belgium (50%), Denmark (49%), Malta and Poland (both 46%) and Latvia (45%).

In contrast, the lowest shares were recorded in Romania (23%), Hungary (29%) and Italy (31%).

Source dataset: edat_lfse_03

In all EU countries, the shares of tertiary education attainment were higher for women than men, ranging from a 5 pp difference in Germany to a 24 pp difference in Estonia, Latvia and Slovenia.

For more information

Methodological notes

Tertiary education: ISCED 2011 levels 5-8. These include:    

  • ISCED level 5: Short-cycle tertiary education
  • ISCED level 6: Bachelor’s or equivalent
  • ISCED level 7: Master’s or equivalent
  • ISCED level 8: Doctoral or equivalent

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