Top 50 Most Educated Countries In The World (2024)

The world’s most educated countries are those with the highest percentage of their population being well educated. It is important to note that the emphasis is on percentage rather than on numbers. That means; if a country has a higher number of well-educated people, but that number only makes up a small percentage of its people, then the country is not an educated one.

It is impressive to note that the most educated country in the world is not from Europe or America; and also that this data correlates to the list of countries making giant strides in technology and their economies.

Education remains a human right; but one that is still out of reach to many people.

Top 50 Most Educated Countries In The World

1. South Korea

Percentage With Tertiary Education: 69.29%

South Korea is presently the world’s most lettered country with around 69.29% of its population having completed tertiary education. This is not a sudden trend; since the 80’s the country has made an intentional drive to attain development through the development of human capital. Just the same way young people are mandated to receive military drills, they are also mandated to avail themselves to the many different technical training centers.

This drive for competency has led to growth in industry; South Korea is now a major player in the technology market, as well as the electronics and auto markets.

South Korea has a robust economy; and a high employment rate. There is still poverty; but not at an alarming rate. Food security is also quite high, and the people enjoy a good standard of living.

2. Canada

Percentage With Tertiary Education: 66.36%

Canada has 66.36% of its population well educated. That is no surprise at all; it is one of the best organized countries; one that has enjoyed visionary leadership since inception. Canada has vast resources in petroleum, solid minerals, forests, and land. It is also located in a position of advantage in North America with a very wide coastline.

These resources have been put to good use; Canada has several good universities and colleges, some of which are publicly funded, while others are privately owned. Regardless of their ownership structure, Canadian universities have made it easier for the people to obtain education; by offering scholarships.

The result is a large portion of the population are very well educated, and therefore better able to play their part in nation building. Educated people are usually peaceful people; which is why Canada is one of the world’s most peaceful countries with the most liberal societies.

3. Japan

Percentage With Tertiary Education: 64.81%

Japan is home to a very resilient people; in medieval times it was a very volatile feudal system and was quite soundly defeated by the arrival of the European powers. Japan therefore understands the meaning of the “Knowledge is power” better than anyone else and has therefore put in the effort to bring knowledge-education to its people.

Presently, about 64.81% of Japan’s population are well educated; and therefore better able to contribute towards the growth of the nation. Japan has been a hub of technology development over the last 5 decades; some of the best known brands from this country include Sony, Panasonic, Toyota, and Honda.

Japan continues to play a major role in the development of future technology such as space travel, better transport systems, energy generation, and so many key areas.

4. Luxembourg

Percentage With Tertiary Education: 63.12%

Luxembourg is the richest country in the world by GDP per capita; and it has attained that status because the people of the country have that high earning capacity, which they got by being highly skilled workers.

This small landlocked country in Western Europe has done very well in terms of organizing its economy such that it is able to provide the needs of the people, and to allow the people maximize their potentials.

Luxembourg has benefited immensely from this educational drive; the country is now a hub for finance, manufacturing and technology. Some of the world’s biggest technology companies have moved their operations there.

5. Ireland

Percentage With Tertiary Education: 62.88%

Ireland is a country in Western Europe that has become synonymous with high human development, as well as with a very good economy. This country has become very attractive for migrating workers because it has very good wages, especially for health workers where it has one of the highest wages in the world.

Ireland is also an attractive place to study; the country has several good colleges and universities, some of which have treasure-holds of research done for decades. Those who wish to obtain highly technical education, especially in the areas of medical research and clean energy will certainly find Ireland an excellent place to study.

The country also has a great culture to explore; Ireland has a great history, and some of that history will be very fascinating to students.

6. Russia

Percentage With Tertiary Education: 62.09%

Russia is a country in Eastern Europe; it is the biggest country in the world by land area. Contrary to what many people may have heard; Russia is quite a success as far as providing education for its citizens.

As a socialist country; education is one of the packages that each citizen receives, although due to the sheer size of the country it is literally impossible to put schools in every geographical location. Despite this fact, Russians may travel great distances to other towns or villages in order to learn, and the fact that 62.09% of the population have completed tertiary education shows that the people are quite passionate about education.

Nation building to Russians means strengthening the country’s economic and military position; the country is doing quite well in terms of technology, finance, transportation, infrastructure, and military hardware.

7. Lithuania

Percentage With Tertiary Education: 57.48%

Lithuania is a country in Europe; one that has achieved some great things in terms of human development, especially as it concerns giving its people a sound education. Lithuania has lofty goals in sight in terms of development of infrastructure; it has placed special emphasis on education, communication, transportation and agriculture.

To achieve these goals it is necessary to provide sound education to the people so that they can maximize their potentials and so use their skills and resources to build the nation. Lithuania has already made several great contributions to science and technology; in fact it was a Lithuanian scientist Kazimieras Simonavičius who invented ad popularized the multistage rocket which is now used in space travel.

Lithuanians have also been inventors and many of their concepts are today used in medical science and other very important fields. Lithuanian universities are goldmines of knowledge; the amount of research done there is staggering.

8. United Kingdom

Percentage With Tertiary Education: 57.47%

The United Kingdom has 57.47% of its population well educated. That is a very good figure by any estimation. The UK once led the world in terms of science and technology; people like Thomas Edison and Charles Darwin made the country famous for the amount of discoveries they made.

The royal society of science is still as active as it was 400 years ago; it is still a very competitive body with so much knowledge to offer.

The UK is probably the world headquarters of knowledge; such universities as oxford, and Cambridge are some of the oldest and most prestigious places of learning; people come in from all over the world to stud at these institutions.

9. Netherlands

Percentage With Tertiary Education: 55.6%

The Netherlands is also located in Western Europe; and it is one country that has placed a high priority on education; therefore making sure that its citizens are given access to qualitative education. The Netherlands is one of the worlds most educated countries; about 55.6% of its population have completed tertiary education.

This has been the result of clear and visionary leadership; the King realized the lack of technically skilled workers over 100 years ago, and so commissioned a drive to establish places where these technical skills can be learned across the country.

The result is a Netherlands today that is a center of learning, and that produces enough scientists and skilled workers to keep the country going. The Netherlands is a hub for the design and production of transport infrastructure, there is also a lot of research going on in the area of renewable energy.

10. Norway

Percentage with Tertiary Education: 55.03%

Norway is a country in northern Europe that has 55.03% of its population completing tertiary education. The country is also a favored destination for foreign students because it has an excellent and efficient education system.

Norway is a country that aims to be a world leader in economics; the country has made excellent use of its resources and has created a rich society where the people can afford to live in luxury without fear of the future. The government takes good care of its citizens and provides essential services; including education, healthcare and security.

As a result Norway has many of its citizens able to put the technical skills they have learned to good use in terms of building the nation. Having heard about all the advantages offered to students in this country; many are eager to go to Norway so as to gain knowledge.

The following is a presentation of the 50 most educated countries in the world, and their locations.

Rank	Country	Percentage With Tertiary Education	Location
1	South Korea	69.29%	Asia
2	Canada	66.36%	Americas
3	Japan	64.81%	Asia
4	Luxembourg	63.12%	Western Europe
5	Ireland	62.88%	Western Europe
6	Russia	62.09%	Europe
7	Lithuania	57.48%	Europe
8	United Kingdom	57.47%	Western Europe
9	Netherlands	55.6%	Western Europe
10	Norway	55.03%	Western Europe
11	Australia	54.31%	Europe
12	Switzerland	52.27%	Europe
13	United States of America	51.17%	Americas
14	Belgium	50.87%	Western Europe
15	France	50.26%	Western Europe
16	Sweden	49.22%	Western Europe
17	Denmark	49.04%	Europe
18	Spain	48.73%	Western Europe
19	Slovenia	47.95%	Europe
20	Portugal	47.45%	Western Europe
21	United Arab Emirates	47.2%	Asia
22	Israel	46.01%	Asia
23	Latvia	45.5%	Europe
24	New Zealand	45.32%	Oceania
25	Greece	44.18%	Europe
26	Estonia	43.18%	Europe
27	Austria	42.44%	Europe
28	Iceland	41.92%	Europe
29	Poland	40.64%	Europe
30	Chile	40.51%	Americas
31	Finland	40.06%	Europe
32	Turkey	39.83%	Asia
33	Slovakia	39.5%	Europe
34	Germany	35.88%	Western Europe
35	People’s Republic of China	35.8%	Asia
36	Czech Republic	35.04%	Europe
37	Kazakhstan	34.1%	Asia
38	Hungary	32.91%	Europe
39	Mongolia	32.6%	Asia
40	Colombia	30.53%	Americas
41	Costa Rica	30.26%	Americas
42	Cyprus	29.8%	Europe
43	Georgia	28.4%	Europe
44	Belarus	28.3%	Europe
45	Italy	28.27%	Western Europe
46	Mexico	27.06%	Americas
47	Bolivia	26.8%	Americas
48	Bulgaria	26.1%	Europe
49	Saudi Arabia	26%	Asia
50	Venezuela	25.1%	Americas

Closing

The most educated countries in the world are those that have placed a high value on education; and those that have made the investments to improve the quality and availability of education. Interestingly, these are also some of the richest and most powerful countries in the world. Some may argue that these countries are rich; and as such they have the resources to invest in education.

Perhaps that is why Africa is missing from this list; the continent has not been able to harness its resources to make education available to its citizens, and so reap the rewards that come with it.