Country rankings

PhD Percentage per Country

Germany has the highest Overall PhD Graduation Rates, Ages 25-35 in 2021 (2.1 per 1k pop), followed by Netherlands (1.9 per 1k pop) and Denmark (1.9 per 1k pop). North Macedonia has the lowest (0.2 per 1k pop).

Education46 countries · 5 metricsUpdated Jan 16, 2026Original page
5 sources
26 of 235 countries
Compare this metricAdd to combined rankingOpen full map

Overall PhD Graduation Rates, Ages 25-35, 2021

Darker green is better (higher is better). Click a place to highlight it.

Loading map…

All 26 ranked

Best first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one country; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
0.9 per 1k pop
Middle half 0.5 per 1k pop – 1.3 per 1k pop
Average
1.0 per 1k pop
26 countries
Highest
2.1 per 1k pop
Germany
Lowest
0.2 per 1k pop
North Macedonia

Over time · 2013–2021

The top 5 in 2021, against the median.

  • Median of all countries
  • Germany
  • Netherlands
  • Denmark
  • Belgium
  • Ireland

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

33 countries · # = rank by Overall PhD Graduation Rates, Ages 25-35
#
1Germany2.1 per 1k pop
2Netherlands1.9 per 1k pop
2Denmark1.9 per 1k pop
4Belgium1.5 per 1k pop
4Ireland1.5 per 1k pop
4Liechtenstein1.5 per 1k pop
7Luxembourg1.3 per 1k pop
8Spain1.2 per 1k pop
8Austria1.2 per 1k pop
10Sweden1.1 per 1k pop
11Italy1.0 per 1k pop
13Finland0.9 per 1k pop
14Hungary0.8 per 1k pop
16Lithuania0.7 per 1k pop
16Iceland0.7 per 1k pop
18Croatia0.6 per 1k pop
20Cyprus0.5 per 1k pop
22Serbia0.4 per 1k pop
24Turkey0.3 per 1k pop
—France:
11Czechia1.0 per 1k pop
14Portugal0.8 per 1k pop
18Greece0.6 per 1k pop
20Bulgaria0.5 per 1k pop
22Poland0.4 per 1k pop
—Switzerland:
—Norway:
—Slovakia:
—Slovenia:
24Latvia0.3 per 1k pop
26North Macedonia0.2 per 1k pop
—Estonia:
—Malta:

What correlates with Overall PhD Graduation Rates, Ages 25-35 (2021)?

Pearson r against 2,008 other country metrics sharing at least 16 countries. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Overall PhD Graduation Rates, Ages 25-35 tend to score higher on these

  1. Digital Infrastructure Score - US NewsMost Technologically Advanced Countries
    r = +0.87 · very strong · n = 24
    Plot
  2. Entrepreneurship ScoreBest Countries
    r = +0.86 · very strong · n = 24
    Plot
  3. Entrepreneurial Score - US NewsMost Technologically Advanced Countries
    r = +0.83 · very strong · n = 24
    Plot
  4. ICI ScoreAverage IQ by Country
    r = +0.83 · very strong · n = 25
    Plot
  5. Scientific Infrastructure ScoreInfrastructure by Country
    r = +0.82 · very strong · n = 22
    Plot
  6. Aggregate Live Animal Export ValueAgricultural Exports by Country
    r = +0.82 · very strong · n = 25
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Overall PhD Graduation Rates, Ages 25-35 tend to score lower on these

  1. Avg Weekly Hours Worked (Women) - ILOAverage Workweek by Country
    r = −0.85 · very strong · n = 25
    Plot
  2. Marketing Experts 2023Tier 1 Countries
    r = −0.82 · very strong · n = 24
    Plot
  3. Lunio 2020Tier 1 Countries
    r = −0.82 · very strong · n = 25
    Plot
  4. Avg Weekly Hours Worked ILOAverage Workweek by Country
    r = −0.81 · very strong · n = 25
    Plot
  5. Slavery PrevalenceGlobal Slavery Index by Country
    r = −0.77 · very strong · n = 23
    Plot
  6. Estimated Slavery RateCountries that Still Have Slavery
    r = −0.77 · very strong · n = 23
    Plot

Quick answers

Which country has the highest Overall PhD Graduation Rates, Ages 25-35?
Germany has the highest Overall PhD Graduation Rates, Ages 25-35 in 2021, at 2.1 per 1k pop, followed by Netherlands (1.9 per 1k pop) and Denmark (1.9 per 1k pop).
Which country has the lowest Overall PhD Graduation Rates, Ages 25-35?
North Macedonia has the lowest Overall PhD Graduation Rates, Ages 25-35 in 2021, at 0.2 per 1k pop.
What is the median Overall PhD Graduation Rates, Ages 25-35 across countries?
The median is 0.9 per 1k pop across the 26 countries with data in 2021.
Where does this phd percentage per country data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Education at a Glance 2024 - OECD; What are the characteristics and outcomes of doctoral graduates? - OECD; These countries have the most doctoral graduates - World Economic Forum; List of countries by number of doctorates awarded - Wiki.

Keep exploring