The share of tertiary graduates completing Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics programmes varies substantially across reporting economies. World Bank indicator SE.TER.GRAD.SC.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 152 latest non-null observations.
This is not a common-year 2020 ranking. One latest available observation is retained for each economy, so reference years span 1999–2020. There are 56 observations from 2018 and 33 from 2019, while only one row is dated 2020. The map is therefore useful for comparing the latest reported field mix, but small differences across different reference years should not be treated as a precise current ranking.
Table of Contents
The indicator covers ISCED-F field 05, not all STEM graduates
UNESCO’s ISCED Fields of Education and Training 2013 places Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics in broad field 05. It includes biological and related sciences, environment, physical sciences, mathematics and statistics. Information and Communication Technologies are classified separately under field 06, while engineering, manufacturing and construction are field 07. The indicator should therefore not be relabeled as the overall STEM graduate share.
The denominator is all tertiary graduates in the reference year. An observation of 8% means that roughly 8 of every 100 tertiary graduates represented in that year completed a programme within this field group. It is not the share of the adult population holding a science degree, the current student enrollment mix, or a measure of research employment.
The median latest observation is about 4.25%
Across all 152 latest observations, the unweighted mean is 5.07% and the median is 4.25%. The first quartile is 2.18% and the third quartile 6.70%. Many observations are in the single digits, but the distribution is wide enough that a single average does not describe every education system well.
These statistics give equal weight to each reporting economy. They are not estimates of the share among all tertiary graduates worldwide. A graduate-weighted global figure would require the number of tertiary graduates in each economy as weights. The calculations here describe the distribution of economy-level observations.
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 observations extending back to 1999. This mixed-vintage structure provides broad coverage but is not appropriate for fine same-year league tables or claims about recent change.
A 2017–2020 subset still shows a broad spread
Restricting the data to observations dated 2017–2020 leaves 108 economies. Their unweighted median is 4.52% and the mean is 4.99%. Nine observations are below 1%, 26 fall from 1% to under 3%, 29 from 3% to under 5%, 38 from 5% to under 10%, and 6 are at 10% or above.
| Economy | Reference year | Share of tertiary graduates |
|---|---|---|
| Myanmar | 2018 | 23.6% |
| Mauritania | 2017 | 19.1% |
| India | 2019 | 16.0% |
| Burundi | 2018 | 13.4% |
| Benin | 2018 | 11.3% |
| Georgia | 2019 | 10.3% |
| Tunisia | 2018 | 9.9% |
| Morocco | 2019 | 9.8% |
| Algeria | 2018 | 9.6% |
| Bermuda | 2018 | 9.2% |
Myanmar records 23.6% in 2018, Mauritania 19.1% in 2017 and India 16.0% in 2019. Burundi is 13.4%, Benin 11.3% and Georgia 10.3%. A high share does not by itself establish stronger science education, better learning outcomes, a larger research workforce or better graduate employment. The indicator describes the composition of tertiary graduates, not the quality or outcomes of the education system.
Korea reports 4.54% in 2017; Germany reports 9.05% in 2018
Selected economies show why the reference year must stay attached to the percentage. Korea, Rep. reports 4.54% in 2017, while the United States reports 7.21% in 2016 and the United Kingdom 13.56% in 2016. Germany is 9.05% in 2018, France 7.96%, Canada 6.18% and Australia 5.00%, all for 2018. India is higher at 16.02% in 2019, but the figures do not come from one synchronized year or identical national education structures.
| Economy | Reference year | Natural sciences, mathematics & statistics |
|---|---|---|
| Korea, Rep. | 2017 | 4.54% |
| United States | 2016 | 7.21% |
| Canada | 2018 | 6.18% |
| United Kingdom | 2016 | 13.56% |
| Germany | 2018 | 9.05% |
| France | 2018 | 7.96% |
| Australia | 2018 | 5.00% |
| India | 2019 | 16.02% |
| Brazil | 2018 | 1.97% |
| South Africa | 2018 | 7.25% |
A reported 0% is different from an unfilled area on the map
There are 9 observations with a recorded value of exactly 0%. That is a statistical observation. An unfilled map area can mean something different: the economy may lack a value, or it may be a small island or separately reported territory without its own polygon in the low-resolution boundary layer. Missing geometry should never be interpreted as a zero value.
The map identifies patterns but does not establish causes
Differences in the field mix of graduates can reflect the structure of tertiary systems, the relative size of science versus engineering programmes, institutional capacity, labor-market demand, programme classification and many other factors. Those explanatory variables are not part of this dataset. The map can identify where shares are higher or lower, but it cannot establish why the differences exist.
The field also excludes engineering and ICT. A country with a modest share in field 05 may still produce many graduates in engineering, computing, health or other technical fields. Broader assessments of science and technology skills need additional indicators, including graduate counts and other fields of study.
Data source and comparison limits
The statistical source is the World Bank SE.TER.GRAD.SC.ZS indicator. Field boundaries can be checked against UNESCO ISCED-F 2013. The retained dataset uses one latest non-null observation per economy, so it should not be used as a synchronized 2020 ranking or a time-series analysis.
For questions about current policy effects or changing student preferences, country time series or a matched-year cross-section are more appropriate. Older latest-available values should not be described as present-day measurements without the reference year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the share of the total population with a natural-science degree?
No. The denominator is all tertiary graduates in the reference year, and the numerator is graduates in Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics programmes.
Does this field include engineering and ICT?
No. ISCED-F classifies Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics as field 05, ICT as field 06, and Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction as field 07.
Can these values be treated as a 2020 ranking?
No. The dataset keeps each economy’s latest non-null observation, with reference years spanning 1999–2020, and only one observation is dated 2020.
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