Estonia
Estonia
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Country reports and publications 
Estonia
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: Estonia | Haridus- ja Teadusministeerium (Ministry of Education and Reseach) | Eesti Statistika (Statistics Estonia) |
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:
Attainment
The level of tertiary attainment among 55-64 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (41.3 %, rank 5/40 , 2024) Download Indicator
The level of below upper secondary attainment among 55-64 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.7 %, rank 38/39 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of 25-34 year-olds who attained a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (0.2 %, rank 26/28 , 2024) Download Indicator
Attainment by gender
The share of 25-64 year-old women who attained below upper secondary education in Estonia is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.5 %, rank 35/39 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of 55-64 year-old men who attained below upper secondary education in Estonia is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.9 %, rank 36/39 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of 55-64 year-old women who attained below upper secondary education in Estonia is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.7 %, rank 39/39 , 2024) Download Indicator
Attainment by field of education
The percentage of 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of health (medical and dental) is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (2.8 %, rank 10/12 , 2024) Download Indicator
Entrance
The share of women among tertiary education new entrants is one of the largest compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (56.3 %, rank 4/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female students entering doctoral or equivalent programmes in Estonia is one of the largest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (57.5 %, rank 2/41 , 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 largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (88.1 %, rank 3/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (61 %, rank 3/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of health and welfare is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (82.2 %, rank 4/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of male among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of information and communication technologies is relatively small. (52.5 %, rank 32/35 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia,the share of male among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is relatively small. (59.6 %, rank 33/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of male among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of health and welfare is relatively small. (19.2 %, rank 35/35 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of men among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (38 %, rank 37/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of men 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. (9.2 %, rank 36/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of men among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of health and welfare is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (15.1 %, rank 35/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of male students entering doctoral or equivalent programmes in Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Estonia is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (50.3 %, rank 35/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of male students entering master's or equivalent programmes in education in Estonia is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (13.7 %, rank 35/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of male students entering master's or equivalent programmes in information and communication technologies in Estonia is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (62.4 %, rank 33/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
Participation in education
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 %, rank 22/24 , 2023) Download Indicator
The enrolment rate of children under age 3 in pre-primary education (ISCED 02) placed Estonia among the highest across countries. (27.7 %, rank 1/45 , 2023) Download Indicator
Among 6–14-year-olds, enrolment in lower secondary programmes in Estonia ranked among the lowest internationally. (20.4 %, rank 45/46 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of students enrolled in programmes providing full completion and access to tertiary education among all students enrolled in upper secondary vocational programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (56.2 %, rank 35/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at all early childhood education level is comparatively low. (4.7 %, rank 36/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at pre-primary level is comparatively low. (4.7 %, rank 43/45 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of upper secondary students enrolled in programmes giving partial completion or insufficient for completion is relatively high compared to the other countries. (43.8 %, rank 2/17 , 2023) Download Indicator
Students enrolled in programmes providing full completion and access to tertiary education among all students enrolled in post-secondary non-tertiary vocational programmes are proportionally more in Estonia than in the other countries. (100 %, rank 1/22 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of below-two year-olds in other registered ECEC services in Estonia is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.9 %, rank 9/12 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of three-year-olds in other registered ECEC services in Estonia is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.8 %, rank 2/9 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female students enrolled in post-secondary non-tertiary programmes is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (74.8 %, rank 2/30 , 2023) Download Indicator
Graduation by gender
The share of female graduates from upper secondary vocational programmes is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (30.7 %, rank 40/41 , 2023) Download Indicator
Among OECD and partner countries with available data, Estonia has one of the largest shares of women graduates from tertiary programmes. (62.4 %, rank 4/33 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of female graduates among post-secondary non-tertiary graduates from vocational programmes in Estonia is relatively high. (72.9 %, rank 3/27 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of female first-time master's graduates is relatively largest, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (68.8 %, rank 5/23 , 2023) Download Indicator
Graduation by field of education
The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of information and communication technologies is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (9 %, rank 2/42 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of doctoral graduates in the field of arts and humaties in Estonia is relatively large. (15.6 %, rank 4/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the proportion of upper secondary vocational graduates in the field of business, aministration and law is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.4 %, rank 33/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the proportion of upper secondary vocational graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (55.1 %, rank 3/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the proportion of upper secondary vocational graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 32/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the proportion of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 32/36 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of STEM is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3 %, rank 2/44 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of services is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1 %, rank 1/44 , 2022) Download Indicator
Graduation by field of education and gender
The share of male tertiary graduates in the field of education is relatively low in Estonia. (2.1 %, rank 40/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in all fields is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (64.4 %, rank 4/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the field of education is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (92 %, rank 2/43 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of business, administration and law is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (65.9 %, rank 4/43 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (41.7 %, rank 4/41 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of information and communication technologies is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (36.1 %, rank 3/41 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of health and welfare is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (86 %, rank 1/43 , 2023) Download Indicator
Fields of education
In Estonia, new entrants to doctoral programmes in STEM were among the largest across countries. (54 %, rank 4/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of new entrants to tertiary education in STEM fields ranked among the largest across countries with available data. (33.1 %, rank 4/35 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of arts and humanities is relatively high, compared to other countries with available data. (18.5 %, rank 1/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of health and welfare is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (7.5 %, rank 33/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of information and communication technologies is relatively high, compared to other countries with available data. (11.6 %, rank 2/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (6.1 %, rank 35/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the proportion of new entrants in social sciences, journalism and information bachelor's programmes is slightly low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (5.9 %, rank 37/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
Student mobility
The share of worldwide foreign and international students is one of the small among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.1 %, rank 42/46 , 2023) Download Indicator
Student mobility by field of education
The percentage of students enrolled in the field of arts and humanities among all international or foreign tertiary students in Estonia is relatively high. (16.1 %, rank 5/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of students enrolled in the field of engineering, manunfacturing and construction among all international or foreign tertiary students in Estonia is relatively low. (7.8 %, rank 35/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of students enrolled in the field of health and welfare among all international or foreign tertiary students in Estonia is relatively low. (5.1 %, rank 34/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of international and foreign students among all students in the field of services is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.8 %, rank 35/38 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of students enrolled in the field of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary among all international or foreign tertiary students is relatively high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (4.9 %, rank 3/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
Expenditure per student
Expenditure per student for core educational services on tertiary education in Estonia is comparatively low. (9174 USD Equivalent, rank 24/28 , 2022) Download Indicator
Expenditure per student for ancillary services on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education in Estonia is comparatively low. (92 USD Equivalent, rank 28/29 , 2022) Download Indicator
The total annual expenditure per full-time equivalent student on upper secondary general education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6408 USD Equivalent, rank 26/30 , 2022) Download Indicator
Expenditure in education and national wealth
In Estonia, expenditure on post secondary non-tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively high. (0.1 %, rank 4/23 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Estonia, 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 Estonia, international expenditure as a percentage of GDP from initial source of funds on tertiary education is relatively large. (0.2 %, rank 1/35 , 2022) Download Indicator
Government and private expenditure in education
In Estonia, international expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of total expenditure on primary to tertiary education is relatively high. (2.6 %, rank 5/30 , 2022) Download Indicator
Nature of expenditure
In Estonia, the share of current expenditure on primary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (84.4 %, rank 33/36 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of capital expenditure on all levels below tertiary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (13.8 %, rank 3/35 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of current expenditure on all levels below tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (86.2 %, rank 33/35 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of current expenditure on secondary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (87.7 %, rank 29/33 , 2022) Download Indicator
Who the teachers are
The share of teachers aged between 30 and 39 in secondary schools is especially small. (22.9 %, rank 35/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of women among teaching staff in lower secondary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (81.9 %, rank 3/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of women among teaching staff is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (82.3 %, rank 3/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of primary teachers aged between 30 and 49 is especially low. (41.2 %, rank 37/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of lower secondary teachers aged between 30 and 49 is especially low. (38.5 %, rank 33/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of upper secondary teachers aged between 30 and 49 is especially low. (41.7 %, rank 35/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of primary to upper secondary teachers aged between 30 and 49 is especially low. (40.5 %, rank 37/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of female teachers aged 50 or more in lower secondary education is especially high in Estonia. (84.6 %, rank 2/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the percentage of upper secondary general education teachers aged between 30 and 49 is relatively low, compared to the other countries with available data. (40.9 %, rank 29/33 , 2023) Download Indicator
Teachers' salaries
The ratio of primary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.87 Ratio, rank 2/19 , 2023) Download Indicator
The average actual pre-primary teacher's salary among teachers aged between 25-64 is one of the lowest per hour of net teaching time among OECD and partner countries with available data. (32203 USD Equivalent, rank 25/28 , 2023) Download Indicator
Estonia had some of the lowest actual salaries for junior academic staff in bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent programmes, in public institutions. (39989 USD Equivalent, rank 15/17 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the actual salaries of intermediate academic staff in public tertiary programmes were among the lowest. (53740 USD Equivalent, rank 13/16 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, actual salaries of senior academic staff in bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent programmes were among the lowest across countries. (81336 USD Equivalent, rank 14/17 , 2023) Download Indicator
Actual salaries for all academic staff in public institutions placed Estonia among the countries with the lowest values. (49866 USD Equivalent, rank 14/16 , 2023) Download Indicator
Employed doctoral candidates in Estonia received some of the highest actual salaries among the countries with available data. (30276 USD Equivalent, rank 5/5 , 2023) Download Indicator
Principals' salaries
Pre-primary 25-64 year-old school heads' salaries relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is low in Estonia. (0.85 Ratio, rank 16/17 , 2023) Download Indicator
Upper-secondary 25-64 year-old school heads' salaries relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is low in Estonia. (0.98 Ratio, rank 14/18 , 2023) Download Indicator
The average actual salaries of 25-64 year-old pre-primary school heads is one of the lowest in Estonia. (43845 USD Equivalent, rank 20/22 , 2023) Download Indicator
The average actual salaries of 25-64 year-old primary school heads is one of the lowest in Estonia. (51748 USD Equivalent, rank 26/28 , 2023) Download Indicator
The average actual salaries of 25-64 year-old lower secondary education school heads is one of the lowest in Estonia. (51748 USD Equivalent, rank 26/28 , 2023) Download Indicator
The average upper-secondary school heads' actual salary is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (51748 USD Equivalent, rank 26/28 , 2023) Download Indicator
Ratio of student to teaching staff
The ratio of students to teaching staff at the vocational upper secondary level is especially high in Estonia. (17.9 Ratio, rank 4/30 , 2023) Download Indicator
The ratio of students to teaching staff at the lower secondary level in government-dependent private institutions is especially low in Estonia. (9.1 Ratio, rank 17/21 , 2023) Download Indicator
The ratio of students to teaching staff at the secondary level in government-dependent private institutions is especially low in Estonia. (10.1 Ratio, rank 17/20 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the number of students per teacher in private institutions tertiary education is one of the highest among countries with available data. (37 Ratio, rank 2/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the number of students per teacher in private bachelor's, master's, doctoral or equivalent programmes is one of the highest among countries with available data. (37 Ratio, rank 2/29 , 2023) Download Indicator
Organisation of the education system
In Estonia, the intended instruction time for lower secondary students (in hours per year) is one of the shortest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (823 Hours, rank 31/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, total intended instruction time for lower secondary students is among the shortest compared to other countries with available data. (2468 Hours, rank 30/34 , 2024) Download Indicator
Classes are particularly small in lower secondary schools. (19 Students, rank 30/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In government-dependent private institutions at primary education level, the average class size is relatively small in Estonia among OECD and other partner countries with available data. (15 Students, rank 17/20 , 2023) Download Indicator
In government-dependent private institutions at lower secondary level, classes are one of the smallest in Estonia among OECD and partner countries with available data. (16 Students, rank 18/20 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Estonia, classes in lower secondary education are comparatively small. (19 Students, rank 30/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
Employment and educational attainment
The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with below upper secondary education is compartively high in Estonia. (71.7 %, rank 3/39 , 2024) Download Indicator
The employment rate among 55-64 year-olds with tertiary education is compartively high in Estonia. (86.2 %, rank 3/40 , 2024) Download Indicator
The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (82.7 %, rank 1/36 , 2024) Download Indicator
Employment by gender and educational attainment
The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds without upper secondary education is comparatively high. (68.5 %, rank 4/39 , 2024) Download Indicator
The employment rate among 25-64 year-old women without upper secondary education is comparatively high. (58.9 %, rank 5/39 , 2024) Download Indicator
The employment rate among 25-34 year-old men with tertiary education is compartively high in Estonia. (95 %, rank 3/40 , 2024) Download Indicator
The employment rate among 25-34 year-old women with below upper secondary education is compartively high in Estonia. (59 %, rank 4/37 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of employed 25-64 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (81.8 %, rank 5/35 , 2024) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, the employment rate of 25-34 year-old women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high in Estonia compared to other countries with available data. (81.1 %, rank 1/35 , 2024) Download Indicator
Employment by field of education
The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of arts is high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (90.1 %, rank 2/16 , 2024) Download Indicator
The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of humanities (except languages), social sciences, journalism and information is high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (90.7 %, rank 4/28 , 2024) Download Indicator
The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of law is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (85 %, rank 13/15 , 2024) Download Indicator
Unemployment and educational attainment
The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (7.9 %, rank 4/33 , 2024) Download Indicator
Unemployment by gender and educational attainment
In Estonia, the share of unemployed 25-64 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.4 %, rank 2/32 , 2024) Download Indicator
Inactivity and educational attainment
The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with below upper secondary education is low in Estonia. (19.1 %, rank 36/38 , 2024) Download Indicator
The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is low in Estonia. (7.2 %, rank 37/37 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (5.6 %, rank 32/33 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (9.8 %, rank 35/35 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (6.4 %, rank 34/37 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with below upper secondary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (22.6 %, rank 37/39 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with a short cycle tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (8 %, rank 27/30 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (6.2 %, rank 37/40 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (11.1 %, rank 36/38 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (13.5 %, rank 33/37 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (9.8 %, rank 33/35 , 2024) Download Indicator
The inactivity rate of 55-64 years-old adults with tertiary education is low in Estonia. (10 %, rank 38/40 , 2024) Download Indicator
Inactivity by gender and educational attainment
In Estonia, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old women without an upper secondary education is relatively low. (26.4 %, rank 35/37 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the inactivity rate 25-64 year-old women without an upper secondary education is relatively low compared to other countries with available data. (29.1 %, rank 38/39 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (13.6 %, rank 34/34 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (10.9 %, rank 30/33 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (11.8 %, rank 34/35 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (2.1 %, rank 32/33 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (12 %, rank 35/36 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (13.9 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (4.1 %, rank 33/36 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with tertiary education is relatively low. (7.3 %, rank 36/40 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old men with tertiary education is relatively low. (1.5 %, rank 39/39 , 2024) Download Indicator
Earnings and educational attainment
Earnings of foreign-born aged between 25 and 64 who work full- and part-time with a short cycle tertiary education are comparatively low. (91.8 %, rank 24/24 , 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. (152.8 %, rank 21/24 , 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 Estonia. (92.2 %, rank 4/32 , 2021) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of worker earning more than twice the median among those with a short-cycle tertiary education degree is comparatively low. (5.4 %, rank 17/21 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of 25-64 year-old workers without an upper secondary education earning more than twice the overall median in Estonia is one of the highest among countries with available data. (5 Index, rank 3/25 , 2023) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 25-34 year-olds working full-time and full-year with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education compared to those of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively high in Estonia. (135 Index, rank 5/21 , 2023) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 25-64 year-olds working full-time and full-year with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education compared to those of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively low in Estonia. (111 Index, rank 20/21 , 2023) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 45-54 year-olds working full-time and full-year with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education compared to those of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively low in Estonia. (114 Index, rank 18/21 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of 25-64 year-old workers with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education earning more than twice the overall median in Estonia is one of the highest among countries with available data. (8 Index, rank 5/28 , 2023) Download Indicator
The share of 25-64 year-old workers with tertiary education earning at or below half the overall median in Estonia is one of the highest among countries with available data. (13 Index, rank 5/29 , 2023) Download Indicator
Earnings, gender and educational attainment
Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (among 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary education or post-secondary non-tertiary education and income from employment) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (72.6 %, rank 26/29 , 2023) Download Indicator
Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (among 25-34 year-olds with upper secondary education or post-secondary non-tertiary education and income from employment) are one of the low among countries with available data. (71 %, rank 26/29 , 2023) Download Indicator
Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (45-54 year-olds without an upper secondary education working full-time full-year) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (65.7 %, rank 26/27 , 2023) Download Indicator
Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (25-34 year-olds with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (69.9 %, rank 18/20 , 2023) Download Indicator
Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (25-64 year-olds with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (70.4 %, rank 20/21 , 2023) Download Indicator
Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (45-54 year-olds with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (73 %, rank 16/20 , 2023) Download Indicator
Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (25-34 year-olds with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (71.9 %, rank 19/21 , 2023) Download Indicator
Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (25-64 year-olds with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (74 %, rank 18/21 , 2023) Download Indicator
Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (45-54 year-olds with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (71.4 %, rank 19/20 , 2023) Download Indicator
Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (45-54 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (72.2 %, rank 27/29 , 2023) Download Indicator
Earnings by field of education
Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated adults in Estonia 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. (97.5 %, rank 1/14 , 2023) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated adults in Estonia who studied in the field of business, administration and law, are low, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (96.8 %, rank 13/14 , 2023) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated adults in Estonia who studied in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction, are low, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (94.7 %, rank 14/14 , 2023) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated adults in Estonia who studied in the field of health and welfare, are high, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (110.1 %, rank 3/14 , 2023) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of tertiary-educated adults in Estonia who studied in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT), are high, when compared to earnings of adults with an upper secondary education. (167.5 %, rank 1/14 , 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 Estonia is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (0.3 %, rank 28/31 , 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 Estonia is relatively high. (18.8 %, rank 5/35 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of women who are inactive NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Estonia is relatively low. (5.3 %, rank 34/37 , 2024) Download Indicator
The share of women who are inactive NEET (18-24 year-olds) in Estonia is relatively low. (4.7 %, rank 35/36 , 2024) Download Indicator
The proportion of youth neither employed nor in education or training among 15-29 year-olds in Estonia is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.5 %, rank 33/35 , 2024) Download Indicator
In Estonia, the share of men neither employed nor in education among 15-29 year-olds is relatively low. (4.3 %, rank 32/34 , 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.