Skip to main content

Level of education attained. Counties and Aran, areas and provinces

Population aged 15 and over. By extended level of education attained Catalonia. 2021
Illiteracy Incomplete primary education Primary education Lower secondary school and similar Upper secondary general education and similar Upper secondary vocational education and similar Higher vocational training education and similar Bachelor's level up to 240 credits and similar Bachelor's level of more than 240 credits and similar Master's or equivalent level Doctoral or equivalent level Total
Alt Camp 87 1,353 4,431 13,527 3,720 4,431 4,110 3,222 2,292 813 222 38,208
Alt Empordà 339 5,697 17,850 40,710 18,222 10,539 7,431 9,888 7,548 2,064 714 121,005
Alt Penedès 177 2,268 11,655 28,374 10,104 11,670 9,411 9,063 6,711 1,989 672 92,094
Alt Urgell 30 621 2,175 5,169 2,649 1,890 1,506 1,794 1,299 483 147 17,766
Alta Ribagorça 9 123 402 873 504 348 348 399 333 81 30 3,450
Anoia 318 3,132 11,847 36,024 11,667 13,080 10,620 8,946 6,117 1,935 510 104,199
Aran 12 126 807 2,412 1,467 1,098 915 1,101 768 198 63 8,967
Bages 321 4,617 18,837 50,832 17,094 16,869 14,439 14,982 10,695 3,279 939 152,916
Baix Camp 1,176 5,922 17,985 52,218 20,403 17,535 15,438 15,273 11,760 4,293 1,263 163,266
Baix Ebre 132 3,120 10,116 22,965 7,821 7,173 5,400 5,382 3,672 1,635 321 67,740
Baix Empordà 564 3,666 15,504 38,397 14,481 11,385 8,673 11,955 8,775 2,376 855 116,634
Baix Llobregat 2,295 22,197 77,043 195,873 87,882 84,114 80,001 75,942 56,133 16,029 5,757 703,266
Baix Penedès 159 2,316 12,366 30,834 11,403 11,589 9,024 8,004 5,448 1,368 606 93,117
Barcelonès 5,187 71,208 215,991 429,696 300,327 156,534 167,931 245,862 271,212 76,494 37,707 1,978,146
Berguedà 63 657 4,812 11,514 3,249 4,023 3,639 3,414 2,325 855 192 34,746
Cerdanya 24 273 1,833 4,635 2,598 1,671 1,410 1,875 1,671 429 165 16,578
Conca de Barberà 18 537 2,241 5,805 1,890 2,085 1,758 1,422 1,197 375 96 17,430
Garraf 387 2,181 13,977 34,170 19,911 12,699 11,520 17,088 14,760 3,354 1,536 131,583
Garrigues 24 540 2,646 5,730 1,566 1,842 1,572 1,413 864 333 72 16,608
Garrotxa 75 1,902 7,986 14,919 5,520 5,187 4,530 4,977 3,723 1,188 348 50,355
Gironès 855 5,355 19,161 45,189 23,688 15,372 12,144 17,499 15,309 5,601 2,244 162,414
Maresme 1,116 14,622 40,116 110,172 51,978 39,438 36,288 45,654 37,158 10,152 3,909 390,600
Moianès 3 171 1,515 3,531 1,512 1,365 1,137 1,422 1,074 315 135 12,180
Montsià 219 2,187 8,331 21,519 6,348 6,231 5,367 4,374 2,943 1,185 204 58,914
Noguera 159 1,290 4,599 12,375 3,468 3,342 2,703 2,889 1,869 666 153 33,516
Osona 318 4,230 17,421 44,502 15,441 15,705 11,760 13,914 10,137 3,360 1,056 137,838
Pallars Jussà 9 411 1,794 2,871 1,407 1,248 1,281 1,218 909 303 81 11,532
Pallars Sobirà 3 120 651 1,338 888 765 759 786 639 204 75 6,222
Pla d'Urgell 144 1,002 4,650 10,797 3,456 3,345 2,958 2,607 1,665 609 126 31,359
Pla de l'Estany 156 975 3,033 8,466 2,817 2,856 2,445 2,997 2,235 1,017 303 27,303
Priorat 21 177 1,023 2,796 852 876 861 759 588 189 72 8,214
Ribera d'Ebre 57 618 3,165 6,444 1,473 2,202 2,073 1,650 1,008 390 75 19,152
Ripollès 75 807 2,904 7,233 2,460 2,316 2,169 2,064 1,635 438 144 22,242
Segarra 12 933 3,102 6,948 2,094 1,989 1,578 1,554 1,140 375 81 19,809
Segrià 717 6,780 21,462 57,780 21,723 16,539 15,489 18,384 13,206 4,869 1,758 178,707
Selva 747 5,073 18,915 52,338 21,630 14,979 11,550 12,171 8,448 2,487 786 149,133
Solsonès 30 630 1,362 3,375 1,260 1,296 1,320 1,179 792 279 72 11,595
Tarragonès 762 6,522 25,629 65,274 26,592 24,135 22,827 22,065 18,291 6,657 2,583 221,331
Terra Alta 33 459 1,857 3,831 768 1,134 648 612 489 192 30 10,056
Urgell 72 816 4,245 10,410 4,134 3,366 2,811 2,865 1,896 642 177 31,437
Vallès Occidental 2,715 21,261 82,371 225,285 98,961 85,524 79,161 85,101 73,800 21,783 9,033 784,992
Vallès Oriental 762 10,665 38,076 104,409 44,460 42,654 37,851 34,302 26,715 7,767 2,592 350,259
Catalonia 20,388 217,564 755,900 1,831,562 879,885 662,427 614,865 718,070 639,256 189,056 77,913 6,606,886
Metropolità 12,078 139,998 454,050 1,066,305 584,067 408,651 401,586 487,320 465,396 132,315 59,058 4,210,815
Comarques Gironines 2,814 23,475 85,356 207,255 88,818 62,634 48,939 61,554 47,673 15,171 5,394 649,089
Camp de Tarragona 2,064 14,508 51,312 139,620 53,451 49,062 44,997 42,741 34,131 12,330 4,236 448,446
Terres de l'Ebre 438 6,381 23,475 54,759 16,407 16,737 13,488 12,021 8,112 3,402 633 155,859
Ponent 1,131 11,364 40,707 104,040 36,441 30,420 27,111 29,712 20,643 7,497 2,370 311,436
Comarques Centrals 738 10,368 44,139 114,438 38,604 39,408 32,358 34,851 24,882 8,097 2,358 350,241
Alt Pirineu i Aran 87 1,674 7,665 17,295 9,510 7,014 6,222 7,173 5,616 1,695 561 64,515
Penedès 1,038 9,795 49,197 127,848 52,584 48,501 40,161 42,699 32,799 8,550 3,303 416,481
Barcelona 13,664 157,231 533,685 1,274,523 662,529 483,659 463,755 555,577 516,750 147,287 64,023 4,872,683
Girona 2,836 23,668 86,825 210,933 91,043 63,964 50,019 63,098 49,000 15,544 5,526 662,456
Lleida 1,224 13,461 48,239 120,894 45,047 37,417 33,581 36,627 25,816 9,129 2,887 374,322
Tarragona 2,664 23,204 87,151 225,212 81,266 77,387 67,510 62,768 47,690 17,096 5,477 697,425
Source: Idescat, based on the Population and Housing Censuses INE's.
Note: Al Cens de 2021,per garantir el secret estadístic, els resultats estan arrodonits aleatòriament a valors múltiples de 3. Per aquesta raó algun total pot no coincidir amb la suma de la seva desagregació.

Last update: July 26, 2023.

CENSPH

These statistics have a specific section with all the information available: Population and Housing Census (CENSPH).

Methodological note

Definition of concepts

Level of education
The highest level of studies completed by a person, whether or not they are still studying on the date of reference.

Methodological aspects

1996 Population Statistics

A level is deemed finished when all of the years contained in the level in question have been passed and, therefore, the corresponding qualification or diploma can be awarded. The levels of qualifications are classed as:

  • Unqualified. Cannot read or write, or does so with difficulty, without qualifications (primary not completed).
  • First level. Primary or 1st stage of Secondary Education completed.
  • Second level. Secondary education (general, vocational or technical), GCSE completed. First level of vocational training. Intermediate or second level of vocational training Pre-university studies.
  • Third level. Diploma, degree, doctorate.

The question dealing with the level of instruction refers to the population aged 10 and over.


2001 Population Census

An individual is considered to have reached a certain level of instruction when he or she has finished and passed all of the years for this level and is ready to obtain the corresponding qualification or diploma. They are classified as follows:

  • Illiterate. Unable to read or write in any language.
  • Unqualified. Note: although this category is the equivalent of "Primary education incomplete" in the National Classification of Education (CNED), it was decided to keep it to enable comparisons with previous censuses.
  • First level (primary): persons who went to school for five years or more without completing their secondary education.
  • Second level (secondary): Secondary education GCSEs, O levels and A levels, Vocational training at advanced level, Industrial diploma or the equivalent.
  • Third level. Diploma in technical architecture or engineering, three courses of an engineering or architecture degree, a university degree or a doctorate.

Completed studies are investigated for the population of 16 and over.


2011 Population Census

An individual is considered to have reached a certain level of instruction when he or she has finished and passed all of the years for this level and is ready to obtain the corresponding qualification or diploma. They are classified as follows:

  • Illiterate. Unable to read or write in any language.
  • Unqualified. Note: although this category is the equivalent of "Primary education incomplete" in the National Classification of Education (CNED), it was decided to keep it to enable comparisons with previous censuses.
  • First level. Secondary education incomplete.
  • Second level. Secondary education GCSEs, O levels and A levels, Vocational training at first or second level, or the equivalent, intermediate level music and dance, certificates from official language schools. Higher vocational training, industrial diplomas or the equivalent.
  • Third level. University diploma in technical architecture or engineering or the equivalent, bachelor's degree in architecture or engineering, master's degree, medical specialisation or doctorate.

Completed studies are investigated for the population of 16 and over.

The Population and Housing Census 2011 includes survey data. The results have been conveniently rounded up and are shown without decimals. Hence, some totals may not coincide with the sum of their disaggregation.


Unavailable information is represented using the symbol ":". When the value is lower than that of the minimum unit to be able to estimate the statistical operation or if it effects statistical confidentiality, the symbol used is "..".