Croatia
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Croatia
Overview of the education system (EAG 2025)
  • The share of 25-34 year-olds without upper secondary remained at 4% between 2019 and 2024, well below the OECD average of 13%.
  • Master’s attainment is comparatively high, with 27% of young adults holding such a degree in 2024, above the OECD average of 16% and up from 23% in 2019.
  • Field distribution at bachelor’s level skews technical, with 31% of graduates in STEM, compared to 18% in business, administration and law, and 17% in arts and humanities, social sciences, journalism and information.
  • The share of international students rose slightly, from 3% to 3.7% between 2018 and 2023, though still below the OECD average of 7.4%.
  • Student–staff ratios vary by research intensity, with institutions that have a greater research focus averaging 9 students per academic staff member, compared to 8 in less research-focused institutions.
  • In Croatia, government expenditure per tertiary student is USD 8,559, well below the OECD average of USD 15,102.
  • Education spending represents 3.4% of GDP, also below the OECD average of 4.7%.
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    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.

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    Attainment

    The level of below upper secondary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.7 %, rank 38/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The level of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (56.9 %, rank 2/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The level of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary attainment among 25-64 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (59.9 %, rank 3/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-64 year-olds who have attained a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary qualification is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (56.6 %, rank 3/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-64 year-olds who have attained a general upper secondary or post-secondary qualification is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.3 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the percentage of 25-64 year-olds who attained a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (6.5 %, rank 34/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-34 year-olds who have attained a vocational degree at the upper secondary or post-secondary level is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (52.3 %, rank 2/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-34 year-olds who have attained a general degree at the upper secondary or post-secondary level is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.6 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the share of 25-34 year-olds who attained a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (11.4 %, rank 34/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the share of 25-34 year-olds who attained a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest among countries with available data. (26.8 %, rank 4/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Attainment by gender

    The proportion of 25-64 year-old men who have attained a general degree at the upper secondary or post-secondary level is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.9 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-64 year-old women who have attained a general degree at the upper secondary or post-secondary level is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.7 %, rank 35/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 35-44 year-old men who have attained tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (28.2 %, rank 36/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the share of 25-64 year-old men who attained a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the smallest among countries with available data. (5.4 %, rank 33/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old women who attained a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the smallest among countries with available data. (7.7 %, rank 34/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old men who attained below upper secondary education in Croatia is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.6 %, rank 38/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old women who attained below upper secondary education in Croatia is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.7 %, rank 38/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Croatia is one of the highest among countries with available data. (56.1 %, rank 2/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Croatia is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (43.9 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Attainment by field of education

    The percentage of 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (3.5 %, rank 24/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Entrance

    The share of female new entrants integrating short-cycle tertiary programmes in Croatia is comparatively small. (16.7 %, rank 36/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the percentage of new entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes younger than 25 is relatively low. (16.7 %, rank 34/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the average age of new entrants in master's programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (23.6 Years, rank 38/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Entrance by field of education and gender

    Female new entrants to doctoral programmes in services ranked among the smallest across countries. (23.4 %, rank 28/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the share of male among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of information and communication technologies is relatively small. (57.1 %, rank 31/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, 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. (4.4 %, rank 39/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    Among students aged 3 to 5, enrolment in early childhood educational development (ISCED 01) was among the highest in Croatia compared to other countries. (2.9 %, rank 4/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The proportion of upper secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (70.6 %, rank 2/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Among 6–14-year-olds, enrolment in lower secondary programmes in Croatia ranked among the highest internationally. (48.1 %, rank 2/46 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Enrolment of 6–14-year-olds in primary education placed Croatia among the lowest across countries. (40.8 %, rank 47/47 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female students in upper secondary general programmes placed Croatia among the largest across countries. (63.5 %, rank 1/47 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average age of lower secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes in Croatia is one of the lowest compared to other countries with available data. (10.9 %, rank 21/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Croatia has one of the largest shares of lower secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes. (10.4 %, rank 5/22 , 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 enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in upper secondary programmes in Croatia is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (71.5 %, rank 4/47 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in upper secondary general programmes in Croatia is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (21.3 %, rank 45/47 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in upper secondary vocational programmes in Croatia is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (50.2 %, rank 3/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female students enrolled in lower secondary vocational programmes is one of the highest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (62.6 %, rank 3/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of business, administration and law in Croatia is relatively small. (2.7 %, rank 42/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of information and communication technologies in Croatia is relatively small. (1 %, rank 39/43 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the proportion of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of services is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3 %, rank 1/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the share of short-cycle tertiary vocational graduates in the field of STEM is relatively high compared to other OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (10 %, rank 1/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, 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 Croatia, 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

    In Croatia, the share of female tertiary graduates in the field of sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (18.2 %, rank 5/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the share of male tertiary graduates in the field of business, administration and law is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (16.8 %, rank 41/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Fields of education

    In Croatia, the share of new entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of arts and humanities is relatively small. (0 %, rank 31/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the share of new entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of business, administration and law is relatively small. (0 %, rank 32/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the share of new entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of information and communication technologies is relatively small. (0 %, rank 31/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the share of new entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes in field of health and welfare is relatively small. (0 %, rank 30/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, 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. (1.1 %, rank 34/36 , 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

    In Croatia, international or foreign students from Europe are most represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (88.4 %, rank 3/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in master's programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.2 %, rank 40/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the share of international or foreign students enrolled in master's programmes among men is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (4.8 %, rank 37/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the share of international or foreign students enrolled in master's programmes among women is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (3.9 %, rank 37/41 , 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 Croatia is relatively high. (27.2 %, rank 2/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the share of international and foreign students among all students in the field of arts and humanities is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.8 %, rank 36/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, 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. (4.7 %, rank 5/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure in education and national wealth

    In Croatia, 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 Croatia, total public expenditure on primary through tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of total public expenditure is comparatively low. (6.9 %, rank 38/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Total public expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure, for primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low in Croatia compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (5 %, rank 39/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Nature of expenditure

    In Croatia, the share of capital expenditure on primary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3 %, rank 35/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the share of capital expenditure on all levels below tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.1 %, rank 32/35 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the share of current expenditure on all levels below tertiary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (95.9 %, rank 4/35 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The percentage of female teachers under 30 in lower secondary education is especially high in Croatia. (73.7 %, rank 5/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the share of short-cycle tertiary teachers aged between 30 and 49 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (0 %, rank 23/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the share of short-cycle tertiary teachers older than 50 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (0 %, rank 23/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the share of short-cycle tertiary teachers younger than 30 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (0 %, rank 21/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries

    Croatia had some of the lowest actual salaries for junior academic staff in bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent programmes, in public institutions. (47854 USD Equivalent, rank 13/17 , 2023) 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. (1.19 Ratio, rank 39/42 , 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. (1.19 Ratio, rank 40/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of upper secondary teachers' salaries at the top of scale to their starting salary is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.19 Ratio, rank 42/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    It takes lower secondary teachers longer to progress through the salary scale in Croatia compared to other OECD and partner countries. (40 Years, rank 1/35 , 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. (1.19 Ratio, rank 40/42 , 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. (1.19 Ratio, rank 39/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In upper 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 relatively low. (1.19 Ratio, rank 42/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Ratio of student to teaching staff

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the lower secondary level is especially low. (8 Ratio, rank 36/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the upper secondary level is especially low. (7.7 Ratio, rank 41/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The number of students per teacher in secondary schools is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.9 Ratio, rank 38/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the number of students per teacher in general upper secondary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (10 Ratio, rank 30/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the vocational upper secondary level is especially low in Croatia. (7.1 Ratio, rank 30/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the number of students per teacher in public lower secondary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8 Ratio, rank 36/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the lower secondary level in private institutions is especially low in Croatia. (6.3 Ratio, rank 35/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the lower secondary level in independent private institutions is especially low in Croatia. (6.3 Ratio, rank 23/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the number of students per teacher in public upper secondary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.7 Ratio, rank 42/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the number of students per teacher in private upper secondary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.8 Ratio, rank 36/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the upper secondary level in independent private institutions is especially low in Croatia. (7.8 Ratio, rank 22/26 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the number of students per teacher in all public secondary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.9 Ratio, rank 39/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the number of students per teacher in all private secondary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.4 Ratio, rank 35/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the secondary level in independent private institutions is especially low in Croatia. (7.4 Ratio, rank 23/25 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the number of students per teacher in independent private bachelor's, master's, doctoral or equivalent programmes is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (12.8 Ratio, rank 18/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Organisation of the education system

    In Croatia, 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. (794 Hours, rank 33/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The total compulsory instruction time for primary students in Croatia is one of the shortest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1890 Hours, rank 42/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the total intended instruction time for primary students (in hours per year) is one of the shortest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2363 Hours, rank 33/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The total compulsory instruction time for primary and lower secondary student in Croatia is among the shortest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4541 Hours, rank 41/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, total intended instruction time for primary and lower secondary students (in hours per year) is among the shortest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5539 Hours, rank 33/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, compulsory instruction time for primary students, in hours per year, is one of the shortest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (473 Hours, rank 42/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the intended instruction time for primary students, in hours per year, is one of the shortest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (591 Hours, rank 32/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, compulsory instruction time for lower secondary students, in hours per year, is one of the shortest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (663 Hours, rank 41/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Employment and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 55-64 year-olds with below upper secondary education is compartively low in Croatia. (28.4 %, rank 38/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (58.6 %, rank 34/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Employment by gender and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds without upper secondary education is comparatively low. (41.7 %, rank 37/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old men without upper secondary education is comparatively low. (50.9 %, rank 37/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old women without upper secondary education is comparatively low. (34.1 %, rank 35/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old women with tertiary education is comparatively high. (90.3 %, rank 3/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old men with tertiary education is compartively low in Croatia. (82.6 %, rank 36/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 55-64 year-old men with below upper secondary education is compartively low in Croatia. (37.7 %, rank 35/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 55-64 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is compartively low in Croatia. (57 %, rank 35/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 55-64 year-old women with below upper secondary education is compartively low in Croatia. (23 %, rank 36/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Unemployment and educational attainment

    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 less than 3 months is one of the smallest in Croatia, compared to other OECD countries. (18.3 %, rank 25/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among the unemployed population aged between 25 and 64 with tertiary education, the share of those who have been unemployed for less than 3 months is one of the smallest in Croatia, compared to other OECD countries. (22 %, rank 25/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Unemployment by gender and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old men with tertiary education is compartively high in Croatia. (8.5 %, rank 5/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Inactivity and educational attainment

    The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with below upper secondary education is high in Croatia. (42.6 %, rank 4/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high. (36.2 %, rank 2/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest among countries with available data. (17.3 %, rank 5/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with below upper secondary education is one of the highest among countries with available data. (53.9 %, rank 1/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Inactivity by gender and educational attainment

    In Croatia, the inactivity rate 25-64 year-old women without an upper secondary education is relatively high compared to other countries with available data. (62.8 %, rank 3/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men without an upper secondary education is relatively high compared to other countries with available data. (43.2 %, rank 1/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high. (17.2 %, rank 2/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high. (17.1 %, rank 4/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with tertiary education is relatively low. (7.3 %, rank 36/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Croatia, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old men with tertiary education is relatively high. (9.7 %, rank 4/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Neither in education nor employed

    The share of inactive youth neither in formal education nor training among 18-24 year-olds in Croatia is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (4.7 %, rank 33/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of youth who have been unemployed for less than 3 months and not in formal education or training among 18-24 year-olds in Croatia is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (0.8 %, rank 25/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of men with tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Croatia is relatively high. (17.4 %, rank 2/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women who are inactive NEET (18-24 year-olds) in Croatia is relatively low. (5 %, rank 33/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of men who are inactive NEET (18-24 year-olds) in Croatia is relatively low. (4.4 %, rank 32/36 , 2024) Download Indicator


    The data table will display up to six selected countries.
    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.
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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.
    Visualisations
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    Click the arrow sign next to the title: arrows to display other variables
    Click the arrow sign next to the title: arrows to display other variables
    Key
    Diagram of funding flows - Croatia

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    Key
    Country Reviews for Croatia

    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.