The share of tertiary graduates completing programmes in Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction varies widely across reporting economies. World Bank indicator SE.TER.GRAD.EN.ZS measures the percentage of all tertiary graduates in the reference year whose programme belongs to this field group, with both sexes combined. The dataset used here contains 153 latest non-null observations.
This is not a synchronized 2020 world ranking. One latest available observation is retained for each economy, so reference years span 1999–2020. There are 56 observations dated 2018 and 33 dated 2019, while only one is dated 2020. The map is useful for comparing the latest reported graduate field mix, but small differences across different reference years should not be treated as precise current rankings.
Table of Contents
The field includes more than engineering alone
UNESCO ISCED-F 2013 classifies Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction as broad field 07. It contains engineering and engineering trades, manufacturing and processing, and architecture and construction. Examples include chemical engineering, electricity and energy, electronics and automation, mechanics, vehicles, food processing, materials, textiles, mining and extraction, architecture, town planning, and building and civil engineering. ICT is a separate broad field 06.
For that reason, this indicator should not be casually relabeled as the share of engineering-school graduates. A value of 20% means that about 20 of every 100 tertiary graduates represented in that reference year completed a programme within the broader field 07 group. It is not the share of the total population working as engineers and not the current student enrollment mix.
The median latest observation is about 11.17%
Across the 153 latest observations, the unweighted mean is 11.96% and the median is 11.17%. The first quartile is 6.67% and the third quartile 16.92%. The distribution is broad enough that a single average should not be treated as a normal or target level for every tertiary system.
These statistics give equal weight to every reporting economy. They are not a graduate-weighted world share. A true global share of graduates in field 07 would require the number of tertiary graduates in each economy as weights. This article summarizes the distribution of economy-level percentages.
Reference years range from 1999 to 2020
The dataset contains 18 observations dated 2017, 56 dated 2018, 33 dated 2019 and only one dated 2020. Another 15 rows are from 2016, with older values extending back to 1999. Israel has the largest value in the full file at 40.5%, but that row is from 1999. It would therefore be misleading to present the full-file maximum as the top current observation.
A 2017–2020 subset still shows large differences
Restricting the file to observations dated 2017–2020 leaves 108 economies. Their unweighted mean is 12.57% and median 12.71%. Within this subset, 67 observations are at least 10%, 39 are at least 15%, and 13 are at least 20%.
| Economy | Reference year | Share of tertiary graduates |
|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | 2019 | 28.6% |
| Iran, Islamic Rep. | 2018 | 28.3% |
| Oman | 2019 | 28.3% |
| Belarus | 2017 | 25.9% |
| Uzbekistan | 2019 | 23.7% |
| Russian Federation | 2018 | 23.1% |
| Bermuda | 2018 | 22.5% |
| Peru | 2017 | 22.3% |
| Algeria | 2018 | 22.0% |
| Germany | 2018 | 21.4% |
Malaysia reports 28.6% in 2019, the Islamic Republic of Iran 28.3% in 2018, and Oman 28.3% in 2019. Belarus is 25.9% in 2017, Uzbekistan 23.7% in 2019, and the Russian Federation 23.1% in 2018. High shares describe graduate composition; they do not by themselves prove stronger engineering education, greater manufacturing productivity, better innovation outcomes, or superior employment performance.
Korea reports 20.32% in 2017; Germany reports 21.40% in 2018
Selected economies illustrate why percentage and reference year belong together. Korea, Rep. reports 20.32% in 2017 and Germany 21.40% in 2018. Other major economies are represented by different reference years. Differences in national tertiary structures and field classification can also matter, so a few percentage points should not be overinterpreted as a precise current gap.
| Economy | Reference year | Engineering, manufacturing & construction |
|---|---|---|
| Korea, Rep. | 2017 | 20.32% |
| United States | 2016 | 6.93% |
| Canada | 2018 | 12.91% |
| United Kingdom | 2016 | 9.14% |
| Germany | 2018 | 21.40% |
| France | 2018 | 13.94% |
| Australia | 2018 | 7.84% |
| India | 2019 | 11.06% |
| Brazil | 2018 | 13.04% |
| South Africa | 2018 | 8.00% |
A high graduate share is not the same as industrial competitiveness
A larger field-07 share may reflect a tertiary system with substantial technical, manufacturing or construction programmes, but this dataset does not identify the cause. Enrollment levels, total graduate counts, vocational pathways, industrial structure, labor demand, international students and national classification practices can all affect the percentage. Two economies with the same percentage may produce very different numbers of graduates in absolute terms.
The indicator also says nothing directly about employment after graduation. It does not report how many graduates work in engineering, manufacturing or construction, whether their jobs match their field, or what wages and productivity look like. Those questions require labor-market and industry data rather than this graduation-share indicator.
A reported zero is different from an unfilled map area
There are 10 rows with a recorded value of exactly 0%. An unfilled map area can mean something different: data may be unavailable, or the reporting economy may be a small island or territory without its own polygon in the low-resolution boundary layer. Missing map geometry should not be interpreted as a zero observation.
Data source and comparison limits
The statistical source is the World Bank SE.TER.GRAD.EN.ZS indicator. Field boundaries can be checked against UNESCO ISCED-F 2013. In that classification, Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction is broad field 07, while ICT is field 06.
Because the file keeps one latest non-null observation per economy, it should not be used as a synchronized 2020 ranking. For recent policy effects or changing field choices, country time series or a matched-year cross-section are more appropriate. For workforce scale, graduate counts and population or education-system size should be considered alongside the percentage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this indicator count engineering graduates only?
No. ISCED-F broad field 07 includes engineering and engineering trades, manufacturing and processing, and architecture and construction.
Can these values be treated as a 2020 country ranking?
No. The file keeps each economy’s latest non-null observation, with reference years spanning 1999–2020, and only one row is dated 2020.
Does a higher share prove stronger manufacturing competitiveness?
No. The indicator describes the field composition of tertiary graduates. Industrial productivity, innovation and employment outcomes require separate data.
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