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 26.6 per 1000 inhabitants, was more than double the EU-27 average (12.9 per 1000 inhabitants), according to EUSTAT data for 2005, which are the latest available for comparisons to both zones. The Spanish rate for the same period was 11.8 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 26.6 science and technology university graduates per 1000 inhabitants, it was followed by Ireland (24.5), the United Kingdom (22.5), Lithuania (18.9), United Kingdom (18.4), Finland (17.7), Denmark (14.7) and Sweden (14.4). The countries with the lowest rates were Malta (3.4 graduates per 1000 inhabitants), Cyprus (3.6) and Hungary (5.1).

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 2007, the rate in the A.C. of the Basque Country, at 79.7%, was above the average for EU-27 countries, stood at 78.1%. However, the Spanish rate (61.1%) was under this average and it was only higher than Malta (54.7%) and Portugal (53.4%) in 2007.

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

Source: Eustat and Eurostat

By countries, the Czech Republic (91.8%), Poland (91.6%), Slovakia (91.5%), Slovenia (91.3%), Lithuania (89.0%), Sweden (87.2%) and Ireland (86.7%) were the ones with the highest rates.