Employment Rate of Tertiary-Educated Adults by Country: OECD 2025
Country results for employed adults aged 25–64 whose highest completed qualification is tertiary education. The OECD 2025 edition reports mainly 2024 reference-year data; Chile uses 2022, while Iceland and the United States use 2023.
OECD Employment Statistics
Published country values are rounded to whole percentages.
OECD Member Country Distribution
Countries are sorted by the total tertiary employment rate in Table A3.1.
Tertiary-Educated Adult Employment Rate by Country
Employed 25–64-year-olds as a percentage of all 25–64-year-olds with tertiary attainment.
The OECD average is 87%. The country table identifies the three earlier reference years.
Chart analysis
- Norway is the only OECD member at 98%.
- Ten countries report rates of 90% or above.
- Twenty-five countries are at or above the rounded OECD average.
- The median country value is 88%.
- The full spread is 23 percentage points.
OECD Member Country Results
The upper-secondary premium is a page-level calculation from rounded totals: tertiary employment minus upper-secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary employment.
| Order | Country | Code | Employment rate | OECD difference | Upper-secondary premium | Reference year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway | NOR | 98% | +11 pp | +7 pp | 2024 |
| 2 | Hungary | HUN | 92% | +5 pp | +7 pp | 2024 |
| 3 | Poland | POL | 92% | +5 pp | +16 pp | 2024 |
| 4 | Iceland | ISL | 91% | +4 pp | +5 pp | 2023 |
| 5 | Portugal | PRT | 91% | +4 pp | +5 pp | 2024 |
| 6 | Slovak Republic | SVK | 91% | +4 pp | +9 pp | 2024 |
| 7 | Slovenia | SVN | 91% | +4 pp | +12 pp | 2024 |
| 8 | Lithuania | LTU | 90% | +3 pp | +15 pp | 2024 |
| 9 | Netherlands | NLD | 90% | +3 pp | +6 pp | 2024 |
| 10 | New Zealand | NZL | 90% | +3 pp | +7 pp | 2024 |
| 11 | Australia | AUS | 89% | +2 pp | +8 pp | 2024 |
| 12 | Czechia | CZE | 89% | +2 pp | +3 pp | 2024 |
| 13 | Estonia | EST | 89% | +2 pp | +7 pp | 2024 |
| 14 | Finland | FIN | 89% | +2 pp | +12 pp | 2024 |
| 15 | Germany | DEU | 89% | +2 pp | +5 pp | 2024 |
| 16 | Sweden | SWE | 89% | +2 pp | +5 pp | 2024 |
| 17 | Switzerland | CHE | 89% | +2 pp | +5 pp | 2024 |
| 18 | Belgium | BEL | 88% | +1 pp | +14 pp | 2024 |
| 19 | Denmark | DNK | 88% | +1 pp | +6 pp | 2024 |
| 20 | Ireland | IRL | 88% | +1 pp | +10 pp | 2024 |
| 21 | Israel | ISR | 88% | +1 pp | +14 pp | 2024 |
| 22 | Japan | JPN | 88% | +1 pp | Not reported | 2024 |
| 23 | Latvia | LVA | 88% | +1 pp | +12 pp | 2024 |
| 24 | France | FRA | 87% | 0 pp | +12 pp | 2024 |
| 25 | United Kingdom | GBR | 87% | 0 pp | +9 pp | 2024 |
| 26 | Austria | AUT | 86% | -1 pp | +8 pp | 2024 |
| 27 | Chile | CHL | 86% | -1 pp | +15 pp | 2022 |
| 28 | Italy | ITA | 85% | -2 pp | +11 pp | 2024 |
| 29 | Luxembourg | LUX | 85% | -2 pp | +12 pp | 2024 |
| 30 | Spain | ESP | 84% | -3 pp | +10 pp | 2024 |
| 31 | Canada | CAN | 83% | -4 pp | +8 pp | 2024 |
| 32 | United States | USA | 83% | -4 pp | +13 pp | 2023 |
| 33 | Greece | GRC | 81% | -6 pp | +11 pp | 2024 |
| 34 | Mexico | MEX | 81% | -6 pp | +8 pp | 2024 |
| 35 | Colombia | COL | 80% | -7 pp | +10 pp | 2024 |
| 36 | Korea | KOR | 80% | -7 pp | +8 pp | 2024 |
| 37 | Costa Rica | CRI | 79% | -8 pp | +8 pp | 2024 |
| 38 | Türkiye | TUR | 75% | -12 pp | +12 pp | 2024 |
| Benchmark | OECD average | OECD | 87% | 0 pp | +9 pp | Mainly 2024 |
Table analysis
- Norway is 11 points above the rounded OECD average.
- Hungary and Poland each report 92%.
- Iceland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia each report 91%.
- Poland has the largest calculated upper-secondary premium at 16 points.
- Chile and Lithuania each have a calculated premium of 15 points.
- Czechia has the smallest calculated premium at 3 points among countries with both totals.
- Japan’s upper-secondary total is not reported, so no premium is calculated.
- Equal percentages remain tied even though the display order uses separate row numbers.
Qualification-Level Employment
OECD averages for the highest completed tertiary qualification among adults aged 25–64.
Employment Rate by Tertiary Qualification Level
Short-cycle, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral or equivalent qualifications.
The OECD average ranges from 83% for short-cycle tertiary to 93% for doctoral or equivalent qualifications.
Chart analysis
- The reported average increases by 10 points from short-cycle tertiary to doctoral level.
- The bachelor’s-to-master’s difference is 4 points.
- The measure does not report earnings, contract type or qualification-to-job match.
| Qualification | OECD average | ISCED level |
|---|---|---|
| Short-cycle tertiary | 83% | 5 |
| Bachelor’s or equivalent | 86% | 6 |
| Master’s or equivalent | 90% | 7 |
| Doctoral or equivalent | 93% | 8 |
Table analysis
- Master’s and doctoral averages are above the 87% total-tertiary OECD benchmark.
- Short-cycle tertiary is 4 points below the total-tertiary benchmark.
- Country-level control codes and programme structures can limit direct qualification comparisons.
Young-Adult Employment by Gender, 2019–2024
Supporting OECD averages for adults aged 25–34; these values are not the 25–64 country-ranking measure.
Employment by Attainment and Gender
OECD average employment rates in 2019 and 2024.
For tertiary-educated young adults, the men’s average changed from 89% to 90% and the women’s average from 81% to 84%.
Trend analysis
- Tertiary-educated women recorded the largest change shown: +3 points.
- The tertiary gender gap narrowed from 8 points to 6 points.
- Upper-secondary employment for men remained at 85%.
- The trend is an OECD aggregate rather than a country ranking.
| Attainment | Gender | 2019 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Below upper secondary | Men | 72% | 71% | -1 pp |
| Below upper secondary | Women | 45% | 46% | +1 pp |
| Upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary | Men | 85% | 85% | 0 pp |
| Upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary | Women | 68% | 70% | +2 pp |
| Tertiary | Men | 89% | 90% | +1 pp |
| Tertiary | Women | 81% | 84% | +3 pp |
Table analysis
- The 2024 tertiary rates are 90% for men and 84% for women aged 25–34.
- The largest 2024 gender gap shown is 25 points for below-upper-secondary attainment.
- Women’s upper-secondary rate increased by 2 points.
- Age and gender coverage differ from the main 25–64 total.
Field of Study and Numeracy Profiles
These OECD averages use separate tables and participating-country coverage.
Employment by Selected Field of Study
OECD average rates for tertiary-educated adults aged 25–64.
Selected field averages span 84% to 90% and do not measure earnings or occupation match.
Chart analysis
- ICT records the highest selected field average at 90%.
- Engineering, manufacturing and construction follows at 89%.
- The selected-field spread is 6 points.
| Numeracy level | Employment rate | Reference year |
|---|---|---|
| At or below Level 1 | 77% | 2023 |
| Level 2 | 85% | 2023 |
| Level 3 | 89% | 2023 |
| Level 4 or above | 92% | 2023 |
Table analysis
- The rate rises from 77% at or below Level 1 to 92% at Level 4 or above.
- The lowest-to-highest numeracy difference is 15 points.
- Level 2 reports 85%; Level 3 reports 89%.
- Coverage is limited to Survey of Adult Skills Cycle 2 participants.
Partner and Accession Country Coverage
These results are separated from OECD members. Group labels follow the report’s 2025 table structure.
| Order | Country | Employment rate | Reference year | 2025 report group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bulgaria | 91% | 2024 | Accession/partner |
| 2 | Romania | 91% | 2024 | Accession/partner |
| 3 | Croatia | 89% | 2024 | Accession/partner |
| 4 | Argentina | 88% | 2023 | Partner |
| 5 | Brazil | 86% | 2023 | Partner |
| 6 | Peru | 82% | 2024 | Partner |
| 7 | Indonesia | 81% | 2022 | Partner |
| 8 | India | 65% | 2023 | Partner |
| 9 | South Africa | 40% | 2024 | Partner |
| Not ranked | China | Not reported | Not reported | Partner |
| Not ranked | Saudi Arabia | Not reported | Not reported | Partner |
| Benchmark | EU25 average | 89% | Mainly 2024 | Aggregate |
| Benchmark | G20 average | 81% | Mixed | Aggregate |
Table analysis
- Bulgaria and Romania each report 91%.
- Croatia reports 89%; Argentina reports 88%.
- India reports 65%; South Africa reports 40%.
- China and Saudi Arabia have no reported tertiary total.
- EU25 and G20 values are aggregates, not country ranks.
Interpretation Boundaries
The indicator measures labour-force status for a defined education group.
Employment is not unemployment
The denominator includes all tertiary-educated adults aged 25–64, including people outside the labour force. Unemployment rates use only the labour force.
All adults, not only recent graduates
The country comparison covers ages 25–64. The 25–34 trend is presented separately.
Qualification levels differ
The OECD average ranges from 83% for short-cycle tertiary to 93% for doctoral or equivalent qualifications.
Field and skills have narrower coverage
Field-of-study and numeracy results come from separate tables and do not replace Table A3.1.
Employment does not show job quality
The indicator omits pay, working hours, contract security, overqualification and occupation match.
Premiums use rounded values
Differences calculated from whole-number values can differ by one point from calculations using unrounded data.
Source and Methodology
OECD 2025 labour-market outcomes chapter, Table A3.1.
OECD 2025 sources, methodologies and technical notes.
Employed 25–64-year-olds as a percentage of all 25–64-year-olds with the stated attainment.
ISCED 2011 levels 5–8.
38 OECD members in the primary comparison; partner and accession countries are separate.
Mainly 2024; Chile 2022; Iceland and the United States 2023.
Percent; “pp” means percentage points.
OECD difference and upper-secondary premium are page-level calculations from rounded values.
No replacement values are generated.
13 June 2025; the OECD Data Explorer may contain later revisions.
The report uses ISCED 2011 for the OECD member results. It notes separate classification treatment for Argentina and India and uses ILO data for Argentina, India and Indonesia. Country order follows the total tertiary employment rate; tied percentages are equivalent.
The ordering compares one indicator and does not rank education-system quality. It does not establish why rates differ. Reference years, survey design, labour-force participation and source control codes must be considered before country comparisons.