Employees by educational attainment level in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Employees by educational attainment level was 27,502 Thousand persons in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
27,502 Thousand persons
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
2nd
of 45 countries
All-time high
27,502 Thousand persons
in 2019
All-time low
20,787 Thousand persons
in 1983
Years of data
37
1983–2019

Employees by educational attainment level in United Kingdom, 1983–2019

010.0k20.0k30.0k1983200120191983: 20.8k Thousand persons1984: 21.0k Thousand persons1985: 21.5k Thousand persons1986: 21.5k Thousand persons1987: 21.6k Thousand persons1988: 22.3k Thousand persons1989: 22.7k Thousand persons1990: 22.9k Thousand persons1991: 22.5k Thousand persons1992: 22.2k Thousand persons1993: 22.0k Thousand persons1994: 22.1k Thousand persons1995: 22.4k Thousand persons1996: 22.7k Thousand persons1997: 23.2k Thousand persons1998: 23.6k Thousand persons1999: 23.4k Thousand persons2000: 23.9k Thousand persons2001: 24.1k Thousand persons2002: 24.3k Thousand persons2003: 24.4k Thousand persons2004: 24.5k Thousand persons2005: 24.9k Thousand persons2006: 25.1k Thousand persons2007: 25.3k Thousand persons2008: 25.5k Thousand persons2009: 25.0k Thousand persons2010: 24.9k Thousand persons2011: 25.0k Thousand persons2012: 25.1k Thousand persons2013: 25.4k Thousand persons2014: 25.8k Thousand persons2015: 26.4k Thousand persons2016: 26.6k Thousand persons2017: 26.9k Thousand persons2018: 27.4k Thousand persons2019: 27.5k Thousand persons

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Thousand persons.

Analysis

The most recent figure for employees by educational attainment level in United Kingdom is 27,502 Thousand persons, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 37 years on record.

The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 10.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employees by educational attainment level in United Kingdom peaked at 27,502 Thousand persons in 2019 and was at its lowest, 20,787 Thousand persons, in 1983.

United Kingdom ranks 2nd of 45 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.

Employees by educational attainment level in United Kingdom, year by year

Annual values for Employees by educational attainment level in United Kingdom, 1983 to 2019.
Year Thousand persons Change
1983 20,787 Thousand persons
1984 21,022 Thousand persons +1.1%
1985 21,464 Thousand persons +2.1%
1986 21,548 Thousand persons +0.4%
1987 21,602 Thousand persons +0.3%
1988 22,280 Thousand persons +3.1%
1989 22,745 Thousand persons +2.1%
1990 22,918 Thousand persons +0.8%
1991 22,512 Thousand persons -1.8%
1992 22,196 Thousand persons -1.4%
1993 21,993 Thousand persons -0.9%
1994 22,091 Thousand persons +0.4%
1995 22,374 Thousand persons +1.3%
1996 22,741 Thousand persons +1.6%
1997 23,189 Thousand persons +2.0%
1998 23,578 Thousand persons +1.7%
1999 23,406 Thousand persons -0.7%
2000 23,851 Thousand persons +1.9%
2001 24,112 Thousand persons +1.1%
2002 24,254 Thousand persons +0.6%
2003 24,379 Thousand persons +0.5%
2004 24,526 Thousand persons +0.6%
2005 24,929 Thousand persons +1.6%
2006 25,133 Thousand persons +0.8%
2007 25,269 Thousand persons +0.5%
2008 25,485 Thousand persons +0.9%
2009 25,011 Thousand persons -1.9%
2010 24,929 Thousand persons -0.3%
2011 25,027 Thousand persons +0.4%
2012 25,094 Thousand persons +0.3%
2013 25,398 Thousand persons +1.2%
2014 25,840 Thousand persons +1.7%
2015 26,383 Thousand persons +2.1%
2016 26,648 Thousand persons +1.0%
2017 26,947 Thousand persons +1.1%
2018 27,361 Thousand persons +1.5%
2019 27,502 Thousand persons +0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 21,635 Thousand persons 20,787 Thousand persons 22,745 Thousand persons 7
1990s 22,700 Thousand persons 21,993 Thousand persons 23,578 Thousand persons 10
2000s 24,695 Thousand persons 23,851 Thousand persons 25,485 Thousand persons 10
2010s 26,113 Thousand persons 24,929 Thousand persons 27,502 Thousand persons 10

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 1 Germany 38,822 Thousand persons compare
  2. 2 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 27,502 Thousand persons compare
  3. 4 France 25,384 Thousand persons compare
  4. 5 Türkiye 23,366 Thousand persons compare

See the full ranking of 47 places →

More work & labour data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is employees by educational attainment level in United Kingdom?
Employees by educational attainment level in United Kingdom was 27,502 Thousand persons in 2019, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest employees by educational attainment level recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 27,502 Thousand persons in 2019.
What is the lowest employees by educational attainment level recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 20,787 Thousand persons in 1983.
How does United Kingdom rank for employees by educational attainment level?
United Kingdom ranks 2nd out of 45 countries with data for 2019.
Is employees by educational attainment level rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is up 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Employees by educational attainment level. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employees by educational attainment level in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/employees-by-educational-attainment-level/united-kingdom-2/

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About this data

Indicator
Employees by educational attainment level
Unit
Thousand persons
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
47 places, 1,443 data points, 1983–2025
Last refreshed