The number of Graduates with a first or higher degree in Science and Technology aged 20 to 29 in the A.C. of the Basque Country, standing at 26.1 per 1000 inhabitants, was more than double the EU-27 average (12.4 per 1000 inhabitants), according to EUSTAT data for 2004, which are the latest available for comparisons to both zones. The Spanish rate for the same period was 12.5 per 1000 inhabitants, slightly above the average for EU countries.

If we compare this data with the figures for each of the EU-27 countries, the A.C. of the Basque Country is at the head of all of them. Thus, if the rate for our community was 26.1 science and technology university graduates per 1000 inhabitants, it was followed by Ireland (23.1), the United Kingdom (18.1), Lithuania (17.5), Sweden (15.9) and Denmark (13.8). The countries with the lowest rates were Malta (3.6 graduates per 1000 inhabitants), Cyprus (4.2), Hungary (5.1) and the Czech Republic (7.4).

Graduates with a first or higher degree in Science and Technology per 1000 inhabitants (population aged 20 to 29) in the EU-27.

Source: Eustat and Eurostat

With respect to the percentage of the population aged 20 to 24 that has completed at least secondary education in 2006, the rate in the A.C. of the Basque Country, at 79.2%, was above the average for EU-27 countries, stood at 77.8%. However, the Spanish rate (61.6%) was under this average and it was higher than Malta (50.4%) and Portugal (49.6%) in 2006.

The percentage of the population aged 20 to 24 with at least secondary studies in the EU-27 (%)

Source: Eustat and Eurostat

By countries, the Czech Republic (91.8%), Poland (91.7%), Slovakia (91.5%), Slovenia (89.4%), Lithuania (88.2%), Sweden (86.5%), Austria (85.8%) and Ireland (85.4%) were those with the highest rates.