Religion and Education Around the World
Jews are more highly education than any other major religious group around the world, while Muslims and Hindus tend have the fewest years of formal schooling. But all religious groups are making gains, particularly among women.
1. Muslim educational attainment
Among the world’s major religious groups, Muslims have made some of the greatest gains in educational achievement in recent decades. The share of Muslim adults (ages 25 and older) with at least some formal schooling has risen by 25 percentage points in the past three generations, from fewer than half (46%) among the oldest group […]
2. Christian educational attainment
Christians are one of the world’s most highly educated religious groups: The vast majority of Christian adults ages 25 and older (91%) have at least some formal schooling, and one-in-five have post-secondary degrees. Gender differences in educational attainment among Christians have narrowed in recent generations, largely because of gains made by Christian women. Although Christian […]
3. Educational attainment among the religiously unaffiliated
People without a religious affiliation – including atheists, agnostics and those who describe their religion as “nothing in particular” – are among the most educated of the world’s major religious groups. Globally, the vast majority (92%) of unaffiliated adults ages 25 and older have at least some basic education, nearly seven-in-ten (68%) have at least […]
4. Buddhist educational attainment
Buddhists are roughly on par with global averages in their levels of educational attainment. They have 7.9 years of schooling, on average, compared with the global average of 7.7 years for all groups, and 12% have earned post-secondary degrees, compared with 14% of all adults globally. An above-average share of Buddhist adults ages 25 and […]
5. Hindu educational attainment
Hindus have made substantial educational gains in recent decades. Hindu adults (ages 25 and older) in the youngest generation analyzed in the study, for example, have an average of 3.4 more years of schooling than those in the oldest generation. However, Hindus still have the lowest level of educational attainment of any major religious group […]
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