Press Release 26/08/2014
44.1% of the Basque population between 30 and 34 years old received higher education
85.5% of young people between 20 and 24 years old continue their studies at least beyond secondary education
44.1% of the Basque population between 30 and 34 years old received higher education, according to Eustat and Eurostat data for 2013. This figure is much higher than the average for the EU-28 countries, which was 36.8%. For Spain, this percentage was 40.7% for that same year.
If we compare these data with the data for each of the EU-28 countries, it is clear that the Basque Country is in an extremely positive position. In that indicator, only Ireland (52.6%), Luxembourg (52.5%), Lithuania (51.3%), Sweden (48.3%), Cyprus (47.8%), the United Kingdom (47.6%) and Finland (45.1%) had higher rates than us. Italy, with 22.4%, Romania, with 22.8%, Croatia, with 25.9%, and Malta, with 26.0%, were at the bottom of the list.
Positive growth in this indicator has been recorded in the Basque Country in recent years, as is clear when observing the 2004 figures. In that year, 33.5% of the population between 30 and 34 years old in our community had received higher education, while the EU-28 average was 26.8% and the Spanish average was 35.9%.
In 2009, 41% of the Basque population had received higher education, compared to 39.5% of the Spanish population and 32.1% of the EU-28 average.
Also in the educational sphere, it was notable that the percentage in 2013 of the Basque population between 20 and 24 years old which have continued their studies at least beyond secondary education, 85.5%, was higher than the average for the EU-28 countries, which was 81.1%. The Spanish rate, at 63.8%, was far lower than this average.
Croatia (95.9%), Slovenia (91.5%), Slovakia (91.2%), Czech Republic (90.9%) and Lithuania (90.0%) were the countries which had the highest rates. By contrast, the countries with the lowest percentages of the population between 20 to 24 years old who have continued their studies at least beyond secondary education were Spain (63.8%), Portugal (69.9%), Denmark (71.8%) and Malta (75.8%).
Level of higher education in the EU-28 (group between 30 and 34 years old) (%)
Source: Eurostat and Eustat.
For further information:
Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute
C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.eus Tel: 945 01 75 62
Further press releases on the Basque Country in the EU-28