Over-qualification rates by economic activity in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Over-qualification rates by economic activity was 25.3 in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
25.3
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
6th
of 35 countries
All-time high
25.7
in 2015
All-time low
23
in 2008
Years of data
12
2008–2019

Over-qualification rates by economic activity in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2008–2019

01020302008201320192008: 232009: 23.42010: 24.82011: 24.12012: 242013: 24.52014: 24.92015: 25.72016: 25.72017: 25.72018: 25.62019: 25.3

Source: Eurostat.

Analysis

In 2019, over-qualification rates by economic activity in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 25.3.

That represents a change of down 1.2% on the previous year and up 8.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, over-qualification rates by economic activity in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 25.7 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 23, in 2008.

That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 6th out of 35 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.

Over-qualification rates by economic activity in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Over-qualification rates by economic activity (NACE Rev. 2) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2008 to 2019.
Year Value Change
2008 23
2009 23.4 +1.7%
2010 24.8 +6.0%
2011 24.1 -2.8%
2012 24 -0.4%
2013 24.5 +2.1%
2014 24.9 +1.6%
2015 25.7 +3.2%
2016 25.7 +0.0%
2017 25.7 +0.0%
2018 25.6 -0.4%
2019 25.3 -1.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 23.2 23 23.4 2
2010s 25.03 24 25.7 10

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 3 Cyprus 27.4 compare
  2. 4 Ireland 27.1 compare
  3. 5 Austria 26 compare
  4. 7 Estonia 24.4 compare
  5. 8 Serbia 22.3 compare
  6. 9 Lithuania 21.5 compare

See the full ranking of 38 places →

More economy & growth data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is over-qualification rates by economic activity in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over-qualification rates by economic activity in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 25.3 in 2019, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest over-qualification rates by economic activity recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 25.7 in 2015.
What is the lowest over-qualification rates by economic activity recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 23 in 2008.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for over-qualification rates by economic activity?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 6th out of 35 countries with data for 2019.
Is over-qualification rates by economic activity rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Over-qualification rates by economic activity (NACE Rev. 2). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Over-qualification rates by economic activity in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/over-qualification-rates-by-economic-activity-nace-rev-2/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Over-qualification rates by economic activity (NACE Rev. 2)
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
38 places, 653 data points, 2008–2025
Last refreshed