Education in Palermo (Sicily, Italy): official figures
56.2% of adults aged 25 to 64 in Palermo had at least an upper secondary diploma in 2024, up from 51.4% in 2018; the national figure was 66.7%.
How many graduates are there in Palermo?
26.5% of young adults aged 25 to 39 in Palermo had a university degree or other tertiary qualification in 2024, 46th lowest among Italian provinces and below the national figure of 30.9%.
Source: Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) · saved copyHow do schools in Palermo perform in INVALSI tests?
64.8% of 13-year-olds in Palermo fell short of adequate numeracy in the 2024 INVALSI tests (above the national figure of 44.0%), 3rd highest rate in Italy.
Source: Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) · saved copyHow many students in Palermo go to university?
50.6% of new school leavers from Palermo enrolled at university in the same year they finished secondary school (2022), below the national figure of 51.7%.
Source: Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) · saved copyHow many nursery places are there in Palermo?
6.1% of children aged 0 to 2 in Palermo used municipal nursery and early-childhood services in 2022, below the national figure of 16.8%.
Source: Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) · saved copyMore figures
- 54.9% of 13-year-old pupils in Palermo did not reach adequate reading and literacy skills in the 2024 INVALSI tests, against 39.9% nationally. Source: Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) · saved copy
- 28.9% of people aged 15 to 29 in Palermo were neither in work nor in education or training (NEET) in 2024, above the national figure of 15.2%. Source: Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) · saved copy
- 6.8% of adults aged 25 to 64 in Palermo took part in education or training in the four weeks before the survey in 2024. Source: Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) · saved copy
- 93.9% of children aged 4 and 5 in Palermo were enrolled in pre-school or school in 2023, below the national figure of 94.7%. Source: Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) · saved copy
How Palermo compares with other provinces in Italy
Adults 25-64 with at least an upper secondary diploma (%) (2024)
Palermo ranks 89 of 107, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Adults 25-64 with at least an upper secondary diploma (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 86 | Lecce | 58.5% |
| 87 | Catania | 58.3% |
| 88 | Latina | 57.3% |
| 89 | Palermo | 56.2% |
| 90 | Caserta | 56.1% |
| 91 | Siracusa | 55.9% |
| 92 | Sassari | 55.7% |
Graduates among 25-39 year olds (%) (2024)
Palermo ranks 62 of 107, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Graduates among 25-39 year olds (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 59 | Rovigo | 27.3% |
| 60 | Forlì-Cesena | 27.2% |
| 61 | Oristano | 26.9% |
| 62 | Palermo | 26.5% |
| 63 | Avellino | 26.3% |
| 64 | La Spezia | 26.3% |
| 65 | Sassari | 26.3% |
Pupils (13) below adequate numeracy, INVALSI (%) (2024)
Palermo ranks 3 of 107, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Pupils (13) below adequate numeracy, INVALSI (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crotone | 71.9% |
| 2 | Caltanissetta | 66.6% |
| 3 | Palermo | 64.8% |
| 4 | Vibo Valentia | 64.8% |
| 5 | Siracusa | 63.2% |
| 6 | Agrigento | 62.9% |
| 7 | Trapani | 62.4% |
Pupils (13) below adequate literacy, INVALSI (%) (2024)
Palermo ranks 3 of 107, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Pupils (13) below adequate literacy, INVALSI (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crotone | 57.9% |
| 2 | Caltanissetta | 56.5% |
| 3 | Palermo | 54.9% |
| 4 | Ragusa | 54.9% |
| 5 | Enna | 53.9% |
| 6 | Trapani | 53.9% |
| 7 | Vibo Valentia | 53.9% |
More on Palermo: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · government and politics · Sicily · Italy
Sources
- Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica): BES dei territori, edizione 2025: well-being indicators for the 107 provinces and metropolitan cities (Indicatori_per_provincia_sesso_ed.2025.xlsx), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 90f90043ad3d…)
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