While perceptions about democracy remain consistent across educational levels, civic engagement tends to rise with higher educational attainment. For instance, highly educated adults are more inclined to participate in public demonstrations or volunteer for charities. In OECD and accession countries surveyed in the European Social Survey (ESS) Round 10, approximately 10% of individuals with tertiary education participated in a demonstration 12 months prior to the survey, compared to 6% of those with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education.
Social and health outcomes of education
Education now extends beyond economic goals, embracing non-economic factors like health, civic engagement, social connections and happiness. Policymakers are exploring education’s role in enhancing well-being and addressing health disparities.
Key links
Key messages
Adults with tertiary attainment anticipate longer lifespans. On average across 21 OECD countries, those with tertiary attainment at age 30 expect to live about 5 years longer than those without an upper secondary degree. Tertiary-educated adults also report healthier lifestyles, including more fruit and vegetable consumption and more frequent physical activity outside of work. Furthermore, higher education levels correlate with lower rates of depression, indicating a broader positive impact on mental well-being.
Education equips individuals and communities to critically analyze climate challenges, inspire innovative solutions, and drive both individual and collective actions for a sustainable future. On average across OECD countries participating in European Social Survey (ESS) Round 8, 38% of those with below upper secondary attainment acknowledged human-caused climate change, compared to 45% with upper secondary and 54% with tertiary attainment.
Context
Risk of obesity by educational attainment
Being overweight is a major risk factor for chronic diseases. On average across OECD countries, the incidence of obesity is particularly high among 25-64 year-olds with below upper secondary attainment (25%) and relatively low among those with tertiary attainment (14%). This difference is at least 14 percentage points in Australia, the Czechia and Slovenia.
Proportion of adults with obesity, by educational attainment (2017)
Students' cultural interest by mother’s educational attainment
A positive index value for students' interest in learning about other cultures signifies a heightened curiosity compared to the OECD average. Across most countries surveyed in the PISA 2018 Global Competence questionnaire, students' interest in diverse cultures correlates positively with their mothers' educational levels.
Students’ interest in learning about other cultures, by mother’s educational attainment (2018)
