HC Deb 28 October 1981 vol 10 c366W
Mr. Colvin

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table showing the percentage of 18-year-olds in higher education in the latest year for which figures are available for the following countries: Sweden, the United States of America, Japan, Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, West Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Mr. Waldegrave:

The following table shows the percentage of 18-year-olds in higher education in 1976—the latest available year—in the selected countries, as published by the OECD in "Education Statistics in OECD Countries, 1981". Differences in the usual age at which young people enter higher education and the educational systems of the countries underlie the wide range of ratios shown.

Sweden 0.3*
United States of America 32.2††
Japan 40.1
Belgium not available
France 10.9†
Italy 4.4*‡
Netherlands 6.0**
West Germany 1.0
United Kingdom 7.3††
  1. * 1975
  2. † Excludes agricultural education
  3. ‡ Universities only
  4. ** Non-universities only
  5. †† Full-time and part-time