Even though the US institutions are dominantly identified as the best universities in the world, US citizens aren’t the most educated people in the world.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the US is the 5th educated country in the world 2020, not the first. Then which countries are the most educated countries in the world in 2020 then?
As the Global Partnership for Education mentions, education plays an important role in a country’s social and economic development. Most people in the developed countries have at least finished their high school while it’s the exact opposite in less developed countries.
Here is the list of the 10 most educated countries in the world in 2020.
Country name | Tertiary Education | Global Ranking |
---|---|---|
Canada | 56.71% | 1 |
Japan | 51.44% | 2 |
Israel | 50.92% | 3 |
South Korea | 47.74% | 4 |
United States | 46.36% | 5 |
United Kingdom | 45.74% | 6 |
Ireland | 45.66% | 7 |
Australia | 45.36% | 8 |
Finland | 44.30% | 9 |
Norway | 43.21% | 10 |
1- Canada

Canada is a highly educated country with 56.71% of the population having post-secondary education. “We need education to enable people to learn, think and adapt,” says Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Canada is also doing a great job of attracting educated immigrants to the country.
2- Japan

Japan is a modern Asian country that’s still maintaining its traditional values and traditions. Japan is where more than half of the population are educated adults.
3- Israel

Israel is a global leader in high-tech equipment and the country, in general, is modern and looking towards the future with 50.91% of Israelis being educated.
4- South Korea

South Korea is a developed country where only in 2015, more than US$43.1 billion was spent on education.
5- United States

The United States is a world-leading country, home to some of the best colleges in the world.
6- United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has a long history of education and arts with great universities such as Oxford and Cambridge.
7- Ireland

Ireland is a beautiful and modern European country, where 45.66% of the population have post-secondary education.
8- Australia

Australia is a highly developed country in Oceania, where people have a high life expectancy, as well as being highly educated.
9- Finland

Finland, a Scandinavian country is one of the most democratic countries in the world, as well as being one of the most educated countries in the world.
10- Norway

Almost all of Norway’s 5.3 million population live in the South. Norwegians are among the most educated countries in the world.
Well explained..
Education is what makes a nation …well reflected through your article too…
It’s high time education got the importance and the required funding across the world..
True!
Thank you so much for your kind comment!
I find the fact the UK and US ranked so high and surprising. Also, I’m surprised Japan and South Korea aren’t higher. After all, the latter two really emphasize education. I guess the former two are riding on their fame and advertising. Did you know that teachers in South Korea are called nation builders? Still, I think it’s great Canada is ranked so high. It shows!
Well, this ranking counts anyone who’s participated in a college program of some sort!
I heard that about Japanese teachers but didn’t know South Koreans call them the same!
Thanks for the info.
Makes sense. Plus, it seems to depend on how popular the universities are abroad, which is rather biased.
Very interesting indeed
Thank you very much dear Simpson!
You’re very welcome
Excellent post. Great informations. Thank you. 👌👍✌💐👏👏👏
My pleasure!
Thank you for stopping by neighbor! 😊
I’m surprised the US is even on this list. Education and intelligence are not valued enough here.
Unfortunately that’s true but the list is based on those who participate in any college or university program.
A lot of people in the US still attend college, the other reason might be educated immigrants!
Thank you for your comment! 😊
See now I was just going to say that I’m glad we’re at least ONE the list! Ha ha ha!
😃
Israel? Wow!!
Jesus America — but I am actually surprised that America comes before UK.
Nice post!
Right. Israel is a well-educated country. When the Boycott Israel movement started, it was so funny to me since most of our tech gadgets are partially or entirely made by Israel, as well as fruits and vegetables because Israel modifies most seeds to consume less water and grow larger!
Thank you for your comment!
I had no idea about this, but this is exactly why I enjoy your posts — I learn things I had no idea of.
Glad to know you found it helpful! 😊
Thank you for your comment!
Very true words indeed.
u r from??