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Level of education attained by the population aged 15 and over. By sex and level of education

Level of education attained by the population aged 15 and over. By sex and level of education Catalonia. 2021
Value % over total Variation (%)
Men Women Total Men Women Total Men Women Total
Total 3,226,128 3,380,758 6,606,886 100.0 100.0 100.0 -0.1 -0.3 -0.2
Primary education or lower 420,456 573,396 993,852 13.0 17.0 15.0 3.2 -0.2 1.2
First stage of secondary education and similar 969,436 862,126 1,831,562 30.0 25.5 27.7 -2.1 -2.0 -2.0
Second stage of secondary education and similar 795,405 746,907 1,542,312 24.7 22.1 23.3 -1.1 -1.0 -1.1
Higher education 1,040,831 1,198,329 2,239,160 32.3 35.4 33.9 1.2 1.4 1.3
Units: Persons.
Source: Idescat, based on the Population and Housing Censuses INE's.

Last update: July 26, 2023.

CENSPH

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

Methodological note

Educational level refers to the highest level of study attained by an individual, regardless of whether they are currently studying within the date of reference. An individual is considered to have reached a certain level of instruction when he or she has finished and passed all of the years required for this level and thus has the necessary conditions for obtaining the corresponding qualification or diploma.

The table contains the following groupings:

Cannot read or write or is uneducated

  • Illiterate: a person is considered illiterate when they cannot read or write in any language.
  • Uneducated: a person who can read or write, but attended less than five years of schooling.

First level

  • Persons who went to school for five years or more without completing their secondary education (EBG, ESO or Elementary Baccalaureate).

Second level: a distinction is drawn between mandatory (secondary school or ESO) and non-mandatory schooling.

  • Persons who reached the last year of secondary school (EBG, ESO or Elementary Baccalaureate) or who have graduated from primary school.
  • Baccalaureate (high school, LOE, LOGSE, BUP, Advanced Baccalaureate, COU or PREU.)
  • Intermediate-level VT, VT I, sixth-form, intermediate apprenticeship or equivalent, intermediate level in music and dance or certified from official language academies.
  • Advanced VT, VT II, Advanced apprenticeship or equivalent.

Third level

  • University diploma, technical architecture or engineering or equivalent.
  • University degree or equivalent.
  • Bachelor's degree in architecture, engineering or equivalent.
  • Official Master's degree (starting in 2006), medical specialisation or similar.
  • Doctorate.