The European Union set a goal for the year 2020 that at least 40% of the population between 30 and 34 years of age would have completed higher education or tertiary education. And that goal was practically reached last year, when the percentage was already 39.9%, according to the latest data provided by Eurostat, the European statistical office.
Higher or tertiary education is considered any type of post-secondary training such as that provided in universities or other higher vocational training centers.
The progression of the educational level in Europe has been constant in recent years. In 2002, only 23.6% of the European population in the aforementioned age group had completed higher education. 15 years later, the percentage had increased by just over 16 points.
Women are ahead of men in this area. Thus, in 2017, the percentage of the female population between 30 and 34 years of age with completed higher education was already 44.9%, while in the case of the male population it was still at 34.9%.
By country, the most advanced in this field is Lithuania, where last year 58% of the population aged 30 to 34 had completed some type of higher education. Cyprus ranks second (55.8%), Iceland third (53.7%), Ireland fourth (53.5%) and Switzerland fifth (52.8%). Spain is in twentieth place with 41.2%, slightly above the European Union average (39.9%).
In the lower range, the countries with the worst percentages are Romania (26.3%), Italy (26.9%) and Turkey (27.3%).
The rankings vary if we differentiate between men and women. Thus, Switzerland is the European country where a higher percentage of the male population has completed some type of higher education (54%). Italy occupies the last position (19.8%). In the case of women, the first country is Lithuania (68.1%) and the last is Turkey (26%). In all European Union countries, the percentage of women with completed higher education is higher than that of men.
Regarding the targets set for the year 2020, 14 European Union countries have already managed to reach them. These are the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Slovenia, Finland, and Sweden.
In the case of Spain, the percentage in 2017, which was 41.2%, was 2.8 points below the target set for 2020, which is 44%.