Education in Saxony, Germany: official figures
The share of adults aged 25 to 64 with a degree-level (tertiary) education was 35.0% in 2025, against 35.4% for Germany and 36.9% across the EU; 6th highest of 16 states in Germany.
How many pupils are there in Saxony?
421,002 pupils attended general schools in Saxony in the 2025/26 school year, 4.7% of all pupils in Germany.
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many children go to private school in Saxony?
12.2% of pupils in Saxony attended a private school in 2025/26, 2nd highest of 16 Länder (Germany: 9.1%).
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many teachers are there in Saxony?
Saxony had 33,380 full- and part-time teachers at general schools in 2025/26 (75% women), about 12.6 pupils per teacher against 11.8 nationally.
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many pupils leave school without qualifications in Saxony?
3,210 young people left school in Saxony in 2025 without even the first school-leaving certificate, 8.4% of their age group and 7th lowest of 16 Länder (Germany: 8.3%).
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyWhat percentage of pupils get the Abitur in Saxony?
12,847 young people in Saxony gained the Abitur (general higher-education entrance qualification) in 2025 at general or vocational schools, 34.5% of the age group and 5th lowest of 15 Länder (Germany: 33.9%).
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many children are in full-day childcare in Saxony?
In 2024, 83.0% of children aged 3 to 5 and 47.3% of those under 3 in Saxony were in full-day childcare (more than seven hours a day), compared with 47.0% and 20.0% nationally.
Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copyHow many young people in Saxony leave school early?
The early school leaving rate was 12.2% in 2025 (18 to 24-year-olds with no upper secondary qualification who are not in education or training), against 13.1% for Germany as a whole and 9.1% across the EU; 4th lowest of 14 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 8.7%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many young people in Saxony are NEET?
9.1% of young people aged 15 to 29 were neither in work nor in education or training (NEET) in 2025, against 9.5% for Germany as a whole and 11.0% across the EU; 4th lowest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 9.2%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many adults in Saxony are in education or training?
9.3% of adults aged 25 to 64 had taken part in education or training in the previous four weeks in 2025, against 9.3% for Germany as a whole and 13.7% across the EU; 8th highest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 9.1%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many adults in Saxony have no qualifications?
In 2025, 6.5% of 25 to 64-year-olds had left education with at most a lower secondary education, against 14.2% for Germany as a whole and 18.8% across the EU; the lowest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 4.1%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat education do adults in Saxony have?
58.5% of adults aged 25 to 64 had an upper secondary or post-secondary (non-degree) education as their highest level in 2025, against 50.4% for Germany as a whole and 44.3% across the EU; 4th highest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 66.7%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many pupils and students are there in Saxony?
Schools in Saxony taught 161,755 primary pupils and 313,671 secondary pupils in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- 11.4% of pupils in Saxony held a foreign nationality in 2025/26 (Germany: 16.3%). Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copy
- 1.8% of pupils in Saxony were repeating a school year in 2025/26 (5,910 pupils), 6th lowest of 16 Länder. Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copy
- 57.3% of 30- to 34-year-olds in Saxony held an academic or higher vocational qualification in 2025 (Germany: 60.0%). Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copy
How Saxony compares with other states
School leavers without a first school-leaving certificate (% of age group) (2025)
Saxony ranks 10 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | School leavers without a first school-leaving certificate (% of age group) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Lower Saxony | 9.8% |
| 8 | Schleswig-Holstein | 9.1% |
| 9 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 8.9% |
| 10 | Saxony | 8.4% |
| 11 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 8.3% |
| 12 | Brandenburg | 8.0% |
| 13 | Hamburg | 7.7% |
Abitur rate (% of age group) (2025)
Saxony ranks 11 of 15, highest first. Bavaria left out: very few Abitur graduates in 2025
| Rank | Region | Abitur rate (% of age group) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Bremen | 35.6% |
| 9 | Hesse | 35.2% |
| 10 | Lower Saxony | 34.8% |
| 11 | Saxony | 34.5% |
| 12 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 33.3% |
| 13 | Thuringia | 31.8% |
| 14 | Saarland | 29.2% |
Pupils per teacher at general schools (headcount) (2025/26)
Saxony ranks 5 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Pupils per teacher at general schools (headcount) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 13.6 |
| 3 | Thuringia | 13.3 |
| 4 | Bavaria | 13.2 |
| 5 | Saxony | 12.6 |
| 6 | Brandenburg | 12.5 |
| 7 | Lower Saxony | 12.1 |
| 8 | Berlin | 12.0 |
Share of pupils at private schools (2025/26)
Saxony ranks 2 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of pupils at private schools |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 12.9% |
| 2 | Saxony | 12.2% |
| 3 | Bavaria | 10.9% |
| 4 | Brandenburg | 10.8% |
| 5 | Saxony-Anhalt | 10.5% |
| 6 | Berlin | 10.4% |
| 7 | Baden-Württemberg | 10.3% |
Children aged 3 to 5 in full-day childcare (2024)
Saxony ranks 2 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Children aged 3 to 5 in full-day childcare |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thuringia | 91.9% |
| 2 | Saxony | 83.0% |
| 3 | Saxony-Anhalt | 81.2% |
| 4 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 74.4% |
| 5 | Brandenburg | 64.8% |
| 6 | Saarland | 63.8% |
| 7 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 55.9% |
Early leavers from education and training (age 18-24) (2025)
Saxony ranks 11 of 14, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Early leavers from education and training (age 18-24) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 13.8% |
| 9 | Thuringia | 13.6% |
| 10 | Hesse | 13.3% |
| 11 | Saxony | 12.2% |
| 12 | Baden-Württemberg | 11.1% |
| 13 | Bavaria | 10.1% |
| 14 | Hamburg | 9.6% |
Young people (15-29) not in employment, education or training (2025)
Saxony ranks 13 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Young people (15-29) not in employment, education or training |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Lower Saxony | 9.8% |
| 11 | Hamburg | 9.7% |
| 12 | Hesse | 9.5% |
| 13 | Saxony | 9.1% |
| 14 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 8.9% |
| 15 | Baden-Württemberg | 8.5% |
| 16 | Bavaria | 6.7% |
Adults (25-64) in education or training in the last 4 weeks (2025)
Saxony ranks 8 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) in education or training in the last 4 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 9.9% |
| 6 | Baden-Württemberg | 9.4% |
| 7 | Lower Saxony | 9.3% |
| 8 | Saxony | 9.3% |
| 9 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 9.2% |
| 10 | Schleswig-Holstein | 9.2% |
| 11 | Saarland | 9.0% |
Adults (25-64) with at most lower secondary education (2025)
Saxony ranks 16 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) with at most lower secondary education |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Baden-Württemberg | 14.3% |
| 11 | Bavaria | 11.0% |
| 12 | Brandenburg | 10.0% |
| 13 | Saxony-Anhalt | 9.1% |
| 14 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 7.2% |
| 15 | Thuringia | 7.0% |
| 16 | Saxony | 6.5% |
Adults (25-64) whose highest level is upper secondary (2025)
Saxony ranks 4 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) whose highest level is upper secondary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saxony-Anhalt | 65.5% |
| 2 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 64.5% |
| 3 | Thuringia | 62.6% |
| 4 | Saxony | 58.5% |
| 5 | Brandenburg | 57.8% |
| 6 | Saarland | 54.7% |
| 7 | Schleswig-Holstein | 53.7% |
More on Saxony: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · government and politics · Germany
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_04: Adults (25-64) with a degree-level education, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6ff9f4bfff72…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset trng_lfse_04: Participation rate of adults in education and training (last 4 weeks) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 42ceced85786…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_04: Population aged 25-64 by educational attainment level, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 63810622cd71…)
- Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis): Statistischer Bericht: Allgemeinbildende Schulen, Schuljahr 2025/2026, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 eda75dad3048…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_22: Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1467a7225373…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_16: Early leavers from education and training by sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c3cc66b98a4a…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset educ_uoe_enra11: Pupils and students enrolled by education level, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 20b6224cca4f…)
- Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren): Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren der Länder: Tabellenband mit kompletten Zeitreihen zu allen Indikatoren (October 2026 edition), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5f3f1b692389…)
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