Germany Has Lower Percentage of Health and Social Work Degree Holders Than OECD Countries

According to Destatis, the German Federal Office for Statistics, less than one in ten German residents with a university degree had a degree related to health and social work activities in 2021, representing 9.5 per cent of the total, while OECD’s average stands at 13 per cent, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.

“One reason for the difference is that in many OECD countries – in contrast to Germany – care and social occupations require an academic qualification and, consequently, are included under the tertiary education sector,” Destatis explains.

Moreover, tertiary qualifications include academic degrees such as Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees and vocationally oriented qualifications such as Master’s craftsman or technician certificates.

According to the report called “Spotlight on Tertiary Education 2022,” which features OECD countries, more people are enrolling in higher education institutions, as the average share of 25- to 34-year-olds attending a university increased from 27 per cent in 2000 to 48 per cent in 2021. This is the main age group to enroll in universities for this decade, while women had higher tertiary attainment rates.

“Women now make up a clear majority of young adults with a bachelor’s master’s or doctoral degree, at 57 per cent of 25–34-year-olds compared to 43 per cent for their male peers,” the report reads.

The increased interest in attending the university is linked to its advantages for the labour market. In 2021, the average unemployment rate for university degree holders was four per cent, compared to six per cent for those with upper secondary attainment and 11 per cent of those below upper secondary attainment.

University graduates also earn an average of about 50 per cent more than their peers with upper secondary attainment and nearly twice as much as workers without upper secondary education.

However, the number of people who complete tertiary education remains low in many countries. Only 39 per cent of bachelor’s students graduate within the designated timeframe, while the competition rates have risen to 68 per cent for those who graduate three years after the expected end date of the programme.

Men are especially affected by this phenomenon since, on average, men are 11 per cent less likely to complete their studies within the expected timeframe compared to women.

As per expenditure, it has increased for students at the tertiary level in almost all OECD countries. In 2019, expenditure per student averaged €17,751 at the tertiary level, compared to €11,498 at the secondary level and €9,985 at the primary level.