Continuous growth of the share of highly educated population

Release of the 2021 Census data on educational structure of population

The comparison of the final data of the 2021 Census concerning the composition of the population of the Republic of Croatia according to the highest completed level of education with previous censuses shows a significant decrease in the share of the population without schooling and with lower educational attainment, while at the same time the share of the population with secondary and higher education increased. Thus, in 2021, out of the total population aged 15 and over, 20.4% of the population had elementary education or less, which is 10.4 percentage points lower than in 2011 and as much as 65.2 percentage points lower than in 1961, when more than 85% of the population had such education. In the period between 1961 and 2021, the share of the population with secondary education increased from 12.6% to 55.5%, and in 2021 the share of the population with secondary school graduates increased by 2.9 percentage points compared to 2011.
 

Comparing the number of highly educated population in 2021 with the previous censuses, the data show a continuous increase in the share of highly educated population in the Republic of Croatia every ten years, which can be seen from the fact that the share of highly educated population in the total population in 1961 was only 1.8%, while in 2021 it reached 24.1%. Compared to 2011, the share of the population with higher education increased by 7.7 percentage points.

The largest share of the population with higher education in 2021 was recorded in the City of Zagreb (39.1%), the County of Primorje-Gorski kotar (28.1%) and the County of Dubrovnik-Neretva (26.8%), while the smallest share was recorded in the County of Virovitica-Podravina (13.1%), the County of Bjelovar-Bilogora (14.5%) and the County of Slavonski Brod-Posavina (14.9%).
 

The highly educated population is dominated by women in almost all age groups, except in age groups over 60, where the proportion of men is higher.
 

Detailed 2021 Census data on the educational structure of the population are available under the links below.

Population Aged 15 and Over by Educational Attainment, Age and Sex, by Towns/ Municipalities, 2021 Census 
Population by School Attendence and by Sex, by Towns/ Municipalities, 2021 Census
Population Aged 15 and Over by Educational Attainment and Sex, 1961 - 2021 Censuses 





 

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