Denmark
Denmark
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Country reports and publications 
Denmark
Overview of the education system (EAG 2025)
| Education at a Glance 2025 | Country note | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2025 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 | OECD Education Policy Outlook: Denmark | Undervisningsministeriet (The Ministry of Education) | Ministeriet for Forskning, Innovation og Videregående Uddannelser (Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education) | Danmarks Statistik (Danmarks Statistik) |
Select first some countries to compare, choose the charts you wish to display and customise them.
The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries.
The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD
and partner countries.
Find out more about the methodology here.
Show indicators for which your country ranks among the top or bottom:
Sort by:
Entrance
The average age of new entrants in tertiary education in Denmark is comparatively old. (25.6 Years, rank 1/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
Entrance by field of education and gender
The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (67.3 %, rank 34/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of business, administration and law is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (49.3 %, rank 34/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the share of male among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of health and welfare is relatively small. (30.8 %, rank 32/35 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the share of women among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (60 %, rank 38/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female students entering short cycle tertiary programmes in education in Denmark is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (67.6 %, rank 19/23 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of male students entering master's or equivalent programmes in information and communication technologies in Denmark is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (61.3 %, rank 35/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of male students entering master's or equivalent programmes in Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Denmark is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (56.3 %, rank 33/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of business, administration and law is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (49.1 %, rank 27/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
Participation in education
The enrolment rate of children under age 3 in ECEC (ISCED 01) was one of the highest across participating countries. (55.3 %, rank 5/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of students in public tertiary educational institutions is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (99.6 %, rank 4/45 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of students in government-dependent private tertiary educational institutions is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.3 %, rank 20/24 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of students in independent private tertiary educational institutions is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 34/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
Enrolment of 6–14-year-olds in primary education placed Denmark among the highest across countries. (75.9 %, rank 1/47 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the enrolment rate of children under 3 is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (55.3 %, rank 5/40 , 2023) Download Indicator
The average age of short-cycle tertiary students enrolled in vocational programmes is comparativele high. (3 %, rank 3/36 , 2022) Download Indicator
The percentage of below-two year-olds in early childhood education in Denmark is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (39.6 %, rank 5/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
Graduation
The average age of graduates from vocational programmes at the upper secondary level in Denmark is comparatively high. (29.4 Years, rank 5/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the average age of post-secondary non-tertiary graduates from vocational programmes is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data (38.8 Years, rank 3/24 , 2023) Download Indicator
Graduation by field of education
The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5.3 %, rank 42/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of doctoral graduates in the field of education in Denmark is relatively small. (0 %, rank 44/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of doctoral graduates in the field of business, administration and law in Denmark is relatively small. (0 %, rank 44/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of doctoral graduates in the field of information and communication technologies in Denmark is relatively small. (0 %, rank 42/43 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of doctoral graduates in the field of health and welfare in Denmark is relatively large. (37.5 %, rank 3/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the proportion of upper secondary vocational graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (27.9 %, rank 4/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the share of short-cycle tertiary vocational graduates in the field of business, administration and law is relatively high compared to other OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (5 %, rank 2/37 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2 %, rank 2/45 , 2022) Download Indicator
Graduation by field of education and gender
The proportion of female tertiary graduates in education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (6.6 %, rank 42/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the percentage of female post-secondary non-tertiary graduates in the field of business, administration and law is relatively small. (44.4 %, rank 24/26 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the share of female post-secondary non-tertiary graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 26/27 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (68.1 %, rank 5/43 , 2023) Download Indicator
Completion rates
Male completion rates to bachelor's programmes by the end of the theoretical duration plus one year were among the highest in Denmark compared to other countries. (64.5 %, rank 5/32 , 2021) Download Indicator
Fields of education
In Denmark, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of business, administration and law is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (0 %, rank 37/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of education is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (0 %, rank 36/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is relatively high, compared to other countries with available data. (29.1 %, rank 1/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of health and welfare is relatively high, compared to other countries with available data. (35.3 %, rank 4/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of information and communication technologies is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (0 %, rank 36/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of new entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is comparatively low in Denmark, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (13.4 %, rank 29/33 , 2023) Download Indicator
Student mobility
In Denmark, international or foreign students from Oceania are most represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.6 %, rank 5/41 , 2023) Download Indicator
Student mobility by field of education
The percentage of students enrolled in the field of engineering, manunfacturing and construction among all international or foreign tertiary students in Denmark is relatively high. (24.9 %, rank 3/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
Expenditure per student
Annual expenditure per tertiary student is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (29680 USD Equivalent, rank 4/42 , 2022) Download Indicator
Annual expenditure per student from primary to tertiary level is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19229 USD Equivalent, rank 5/40 , 2022) Download Indicator
Annual expenditure per pupil at the pre-primary level is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (18493 USD Equivalent, rank 4/30 , 2021) Download Indicator
Annual expenditure per student on research and development in tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (16071 USD Equivalent, rank 3/36 , 2022) Download Indicator
Expenditure per student for ancillary services on tertiary education in Denmark is comparatively low. (2 USD Equivalent, rank 25/28 , 2022) Download Indicator
Expenditure per student for ancillary educational services on primary to tertiary education in Denmark is comparatively low. (186 USD Equivalent, rank 25/28 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the total annual expenditure per full-time equivalent student on tertiary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (25890 USD Equivalent, rank 4/42 , 2022) Download Indicator
Expenditure in education and national wealth
In Denmark, expenditure on tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively high. (1.9 %, rank 4/42 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Denmark, international expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively high. (0 %, rank 4/32 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Denmark, international expenditure as a percentage of GDP from initial source of funds on tertiary education is relatively large. (0.1 %, rank 5/35 , 2022) Download Indicator
From 2012 to 2018, the average annual growth in total expenditure per full-time equivalent student on primary to tertiary education in Denmark is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.5 %, rank 3/29 , 2022) Download Indicator
Government and private expenditure in education
The share of public expenditure on tertiary educational institutions is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.8 %, rank 1/42 , 2022) Download Indicator
Who the teachers are
The share of women among teaching staff in primary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (67.2 %, rank 40/43 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of women among teaching staff in upper secondary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (50.9 %, rank 37/41 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of women among teaching staff in short-cycle tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (45.1 %, rank 21/24 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of women among teaching staff in general upper secondary education in Denmark is relatively small. (52.6 %, rank 32/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the share of women among teaching staff in vocational upper secondary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (46.9 %, rank 30/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of female teachers younger than 30 in primary education is especially low in Denmark. (56.7 %, rank 39/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of female teachers under 30 in lower secondary education is especially low in Denmark. (53.7 %, rank 34/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the share of female teachers younger than 30 in tertiary education is relatively small . (45.3 %, rank 35/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
Females aged 50 or more represent a small proportion of teachers in primary education in Denmark. (72.1 %, rank 35/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the share of tertiary teachers younger than 30 is relatively high, compared to other countries with data available. (18.5 %, rank 5/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the share of bachelor's, master's and doctoral level female teachers younger than 30 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (45.3 %, rank 33/35 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the share of short-cycle tertiary female teachers older than 50 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (40.5 %, rank 18/22 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of teachers under 30 in early childhood educational development is especially low in Denmark. (11.3 %, rank 15/19 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the share of women among teaching staff in early childhood educational development is one of the lowest, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (92.5 %, rank 18/21 , 2023) Download Indicator
Teachers' salaries
The average actual primary teacher's salary among teachers aged between 25-64 is one of the highest per hour of net teaching time among OECD and partner countries with available data. (74887 USD Equivalent, rank 4/32 , 2023) Download Indicator
The average actual lower secondary teacher's salary among teachers aged between 25-64 is one of the highest per hour of net teaching time among OECD and partner countries with available data. (75337 USD Equivalent, rank 4/32 , 2023) Download Indicator
The average actual upper secondary teacher's salary among teachers aged between 25-64 is one of the highest per hour of net teaching time among OECD and partner countries with available data. (88381 USD Equivalent, rank 5/32 , 2023) Download Indicator
The average actual salaries of 25-34 year-old lower-secondary teachers is one of the highest in Denmark relatively compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (69184 USD Equivalent, rank 3/27 , 2022) Download Indicator
Teachers' salaries progression
The salary progression from the start to the top of the salary scale for a lower secondary school teacher is among the least rewarding among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.16 Ratio, rank 40/42 , 2023) Download Indicator
Starting salaries for lower secondary teachers with minimum training are especially high. (63789 USD Equivalent, rank 4/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
The ratio of pre-primary teachers' salaries at the top of scale to their starting salary is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.13 Ratio, rank 34/35 , 2023) Download Indicator
The ratio of primary teachers' salaries at the top of scale to their starting salary is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.15 Ratio, rank 42/42 , 2023) Download Indicator
In pre-primary education, the salary ratio of teachers with maximum qualifications at the top of the salary scale to those with minimum training and starting salaries is relatively low. (1.13 Ratio, rank 34/35 , 2023) Download Indicator
In primary education, the salary ratio of teachers with maximum qualifications at the top of the salary scale to those with minimum training and starting salaries is comparatively low. (1.15 Ratio, rank 42/42 , 2023) Download Indicator
In lower secondary education, the salary ratio of teachers with maximum qualifications at the top of the salary scale to those with minimum training and starting salaries is comparatively low. (1.16 Ratio, rank 40/42 , 2023) Download Indicator
Principals' salaries
The average upper-secondary school heads' actual salary is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (140793 USD Equivalent, rank 3/28 , 2023) Download Indicator
Ratio of student to teaching staff
In Denmark, the ratio of children to contact staff in pre-primary education is one of the lowest compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (6 Ratio, rank 19/23 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the number of students per teacher in private upper secondary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7 Ratio, rank 38/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
The ratio of students to teaching staff at the upper secondary level in government-dependent private institutions is especially low in Denmark. (7.1 Ratio, rank 22/22 , 2023) Download Indicator
The ratio of students to teaching staff at the upper secondary level in independent private institutions is especially low in Denmark. (5.8 Ratio, rank 25/26 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the number of students per teacher in public institutions short-cycle tertiary education is one of the highest among countries with available data. (23 Ratio, rank 5/20 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the number of students per teacher in private institutions short-cycle tertiary education is one of the highest among countries with available data. (25.5 Ratio, rank 4/18 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the number of students per teacher in independent private short-cycle tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (7 Ratio, rank 9/9 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark the ratio of children to contact staff in early childhood educational development is one of the lowest compared to the other OECD and partner countries with available data. (3 Ratio, rank 11/14 , 2023) Download Indicator
Organisation of the education system
In Denmark, the intended instruction time for lower secondary students (in hours per year) is one of the longest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1200 Hours, rank 1/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
The total compulsory instruction time for primary students in Denmark is one of the longest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7000 Hours, rank 1/42 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the total intended instruction time for primary students (in hours per year) is one of the longest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7000 Hours, rank 1/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
The total compulsory instruction time for primary and lower secondary student in Denmark is among the longest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (10600 Hours, rank 2/42 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Denmark, total intended instruction time for primary and lower secondary students (in hours per year) is among the longest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (10600 Hours, rank 1/34 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Denmark, compulsory instruction time for primary students, in hours per year, is one of the longest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1000 Hours, rank 3/42 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the intended instruction time for primary students, in hours per year, is one of the longest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1000 Hours, rank 5/34 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Denmark, compulsory instruction time for lower secondary students, in hours per year, is one of the longest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1200 Hours, rank 1/42 , 2024) Download Indicator
Employment and educational attainment
The employment rate among 55-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is compartively high in Denmark. (76.5 %, rank 5/38 , 2024) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, the employment rate of 25-34 year-olds with a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is relatively low in Denmark. (85.3 %, rank 17/21 , 2024) Download Indicator
Employment by gender and educational attainment
The employment rate among 55-64 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is compartively high in Denmark. (80.7 %, rank 4/38 , 2024) Download Indicator
Unemployment and educational attainment
The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest of all OECD countries and partner economies for which data are available. (4.8 %, rank 4/34 , 2024) Download Indicator
Among the unemployed population aged between 25 and 64 with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education, the share of those who have been unemployed for at least 12 months is one of the smallest in Denmark, compared to other OECD countries. (16.7 %, rank 30/34 , 2024) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, the unemployment rate of 25-34 year-olds with a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is relatively high in Denmark. (10.7 %, rank 2/10 , 2024) Download Indicator
Unemployment by gender and educational attainment
The unemployment rate among 55-64 year-old women with below upper secondary education is compartively low in Denmark. (2.9 %, rank 28/32 , 2024) Download Indicator
Inactivity and educational attainment
In Denmark, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (2.7 %, rank 21/23 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (3 %, rank 31/33 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (4.9 %, rank 33/35 , 2024) Download Indicator
The inactivity rate of 55-64 years-old adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is low in Denmark. (20.1 %, rank 36/38 , 2024) Download Indicator
Earnings and educational attainment
The proportional difference in earnings between 25-64 year-old adults with tertiary education and those with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is quite low. (122 Index, rank 28/29 , 2023) Download Indicator
Earnings of 25-64 year-old full- and part-time workers with a bachelor's or equivalent education are comparatively low. (108.9 %, rank 24/25 , 2023) Download Indicator
Earnings of 25-64 year-old full- and part-time workers with a master's, doctoral or equivalent education degree are comparatively low. (158.4 %, rank 20/24 , 2023) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 25-64 year-olds with below secondary education compared to those of adults with an upper secondary education are relatively high in Denmark. (90.3 %, rank 5/32 , 2021) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the share of worker earning more than twice the median among those with a master's or doctoral or equivalent education degree is comparatively low. (17.8 %, rank 22/24 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the share of worker earning more than twice the median among those with a tertiary education degree is comparatively . (10 Index, rank 27/30 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the relative earnings of 25-34 year-olds with a bachelor’s or equivalent attainment ranked among the weakest internationally. (109 Index, rank 21/23 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of 25-64 year-old workers with tertiary education earning at or below half the overall median in Denmark is one of the highest among countries with available data. (14 Index, rank 4/29 , 2023) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 45-54 year-olds working full-time and full-year with tertiary education compared to those of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively low in Denmark. (144 Index, rank 28/29 , 2023) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 25-34 year-olds working full-time and full-year with bachelor's or equivalent attainment compared to those of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively low in Denmark. (117 Index, rank 22/23 , 2023) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 25-64 year-olds working full-time and full-year with bachelor's or equivalent attainment compared to those of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively low in Denmark. (123 Index, rank 23/24 , 2023) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 45-54 year-olds working full-time and full-year with bachelor's or equivalent attainment compared to those of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively low in Denmark. (127 Index, rank 23/23 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the relative earnings for 45-54 year-old workers with tertiary attainment are low compared to workers with upper secondary attainment (130 Index, rank 28/29 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the relative earnings for 25-34 year-old workers with master's or doctoral or equivalent degree are low compared to workers with upper secondary attainment (128 Index, rank 18/22 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the distribution of worker earning more than 1.5 times the median but at or below twice the median among those with tertiary education is comparatively low. (13 Index, rank 27/30 , 2023) Download Indicator
Earnings, gender and educational attainment
The earnings of men without an upper secondary education are relatively high compared to those of men with an upper secondary education. (89 Index, rank 5/29 , 2023) Download Indicator
The earnings of women without an upper secondary education are relatively high compared to those of women with an upper secondary education. (90 Index, rank 2/29 , 2023) Download Indicator
The difference in earnings between 25-64 year-old men with tertiary education and those with upper secondary education is quite low. (127 Index, rank 28/29 , 2023) Download Indicator
The difference in earnings between 25-64 year-old women with tertiary education and those with upper secondary education is quite low. (123 Index, rank 28/29 , 2023) Download Indicator
Earnings by field of education
Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated adults in Denmark who studied in the field of arts and humanities, social sciences, journalism and information are high, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (96.3 %, rank 3/14 , 2023) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated adults in Denmark who studied in the field of business, administration and law, are high, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (119 %, rank 1/14 , 2023) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated adults in Denmark who studied in the field of health and welfare, are low, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (83.6 %, rank 14/14 , 2023) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated adults in Denmark who studied in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT), are low, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (104.7 %, rank 11/14 , 2023) Download Indicator
Neither in education nor employed
The share of youth who have been unemployed for at least one year and not in formal education or training among 18-24 year-olds in Denmark is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (0.1 %, rank 29/31 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Denmark is relatively low (8.4 %, rank 24/25 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Denmark is relatively low (7.3 %, rank 20/24 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Denmark is relatively low (7.8 %, rank 27/28 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Denmark is relatively low (8.3 %, rank 28/28 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Denmark is relatively low (5.2 %, rank 24/27 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Denmark is relatively low. (6.2 %, rank 30/30 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Denmark is relatively low. (8.3 %, rank 34/34 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Denmark is relatively low. (6.1 %, rank 31/35 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary in Denmark is relatively low. (7 %, rank 36/36 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Denmark, the share of men neither employed nor in education among 15-29 year-olds is relatively low. (4.5 %, rank 30/34 , 2024) Download Indicator
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General findings
- Tertiary attainment among young adults has reached 48% on average across the OECD, the highest level ever, but progress has slowed since 2021. Attainment remains unequal, with women generally outpacing men, and older generations showing lower rates.
- Employment outcomes for tertiary-educated adults remain strong overall: 87% of them are employed compared to 60% of those without upper seconday. Tertiary education offers good protection against unemployment, but women and disadvantaged groups still face labour market gaps, and inactivity persists among some adults. Moreover, adults with tertiary education earn on average 54% more than those with only upper secondary education.
- Gender pay gaps remain significant. Despite higher attainment, women with tertiary education consistently earn less than men, even when working full-time, and this gap persists across age groups (73% on average for women aged 25 to 64).
- Fields of study strongly influence labour market outcomes. Graduates in engineering and in health and welfare fare particularly well, while women’s participation in STEM remains below parity (14% of graduates at tertiary level) despite being 58% of all tertiary graduates.
- Internationalisation continues to expand in tertiary education. The share of international students has grown steadily, and OECD countries host a large proportion of the world’s mobile students, reinforcing their global role in higher education.
- Sustaining tertiary education requires adequate investment. Spending per student is already at 21 021 USD and rising, and tertiary expenditure represents a notable share of GDP (1.4% on average in OECD), making efficiency and equity crucial for long-term sustainability.
| Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Access and Participation | Education policies: Finance and Funding | Education policies: Labour market outcomes |
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- Although many countries have near universal upper secondary attainment among 25–34 year-olds, on average across the OECD 13% of younger adults still lack an upper secondary qualification.
- NEET shares are now below pre-pandemic levels in about half of OECD and partner countries with trend data; in 8 of these 16 countries the decline exceeds 1 percentage point, while 17 countries exceed pre-pandemic benchmarks and 6 saw increases of more than 2 percentage points.
- Employment rates rise steadily with higher tertiary attainment: short-cycle 83%, bachelor’s 86%, master’s 90%, and doctoral or equivalent 93% among 25–64 year-olds.
- Earnings premiums also increase with qualification level: on average across the OECD, short-cycle graduates earn 17% more than those with upper secondary; the advantage is 39% for bachelor’s and 83% for master’s/doctoral graduates.
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- Most children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education, with an average participation rate of 85% across the OECD. By contrast, only 29% of children under the age of 3 are enrolled.
- Participation in early childhood education has grown over the past decade, with enrolment for children under age 3 increasing by 9 percentage points to 29%, and enrolment for ages 3 and above rising by 5 points to 85%.
- The majority of students in vocational upper secondary education follow programmes that grant full access to tertiary education, with 76% of students enrolled in such programmes on average across the OECD.
- Completion rates for bachelor’s programmes increase after the theoretical duration of programmes: on average, 44% of students graduate on time, compared to 69% three years after.
- Students from Asia form the largest regional group of internationally mobile students in tertiary education, representing 58% of all foreign or international students across the OECD in 2023.
- Only 43% of students complete a bachelor’s degree within the expected duration, though this rises to 59% with one additional year and 70% with three additional years on average across the OECD.
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- Governments spend on average USD 12 438 per student in primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education, and USD 15 102 per student in tertiary education including R&D.
- Expenditure per student has risen in absolute terms since 2015, but its share in public budgets has declined, with government spending on education at almost 15% of total government expenditure on average in 2022.
- Annual spending per student at primary and secondary levels varies widely across OECD countries, from under USD 3 000 in some systems to over USD 25 000 in the most highly funded ones.
- Tertiary education continues to expand, placing pressure on public budgets. Private sources represent a larger share of total funding at the tertiary level than at any other level of education.
- Spending per student differs markedly between public and private institutions, with expenditure in public tertiary institutions exceeding USD 33 000 in some countries, compared to less than USD 10 000 in others.
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- Students in OECD countries receive an average of 7 604 hours of compulsory instruction during primary and lower secondary education, with total hours ranging widely across education systems.
- Compulsory instruction time averages 804 hours per year for primary students and 909 hours for lower secondary students, a difference of about 105 hours annually.
- The ratio of children to teachers in pre-primary education has fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2013 to 13 in 2023.
- Teachers’ statutory salaries increase with the level of education taught. On average, teachers with 15 years of experience earn USD 55 725 at pre-primary level and USD 63 925 at upper secondary level.
- Teachers’ actual salaries are 83–91% of the earnings of similarly educated tertiary-educated workers, while school heads usually earn more than tertiary-educated workers on average across OECD countries.
- The ratio of students to academic staff is lower in public than in private institutions, averaging about 14 students per staff member in public tertiary institutions compared to 18 in private ones.
- Nearly half of OECD and partner countries operate non-selective admission systems for first degrees, providing broad access to tertiary education, while entrance exams and centralised systems are also common.
- The salaries of academic staff in tertiary education vary by seniority. On average, junior staff earn about 62 000 USD, while senior staff earn about 108 000 USD.
| Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Teachers | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) |
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Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple
most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities,
such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important
areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website
for each publication.
All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026.
*TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages. Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and Annex 3 of EAG 2024 for more details about the data collections.
For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.
All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026.
*TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages. Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and Annex 3 of EAG 2024 for more details about the data collections.
For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.