Countries by Human capital index plus (HCI+): education pillar score, female (scale 0”“188)

Ranking 2025

Analysis

This metric measures the Human Capital Index Plus (HCI+) education pillar score for females on a scale of 0 to 188. According to the source definition, the indicator aggregates human capital accumulated during formal schooling, including pre-school, primary, secondary, and tertiary schooling, and also captures learning quality through harmonized learning outcomes. A higher score is better. Data come from the World Bank World Development Indicators under indicator code HD_HCIP_EDUC_FE, with a reference year of 2025. Coverage is strong: 177 countries are included, exceeding the 80-country threshold; 171 of 177 countries (96.6%) have data from the last seven years; and 100% of data points are classified as official. No extreme outliers were detected using a three-standard-deviation threshold, and average year-over-year change is 6.4%, well within the 50% volatility threshold. The full range runs from 16.65 to 170.73, a spread of 925.6%.

The top of the ranking is dominated by high-income countries in Europe and East Asia. Korea, Rep. leads at 170.73, followed by Poland (162.22, rank 2) and Ireland (162.14, rank 3). Sweden (161.21, rank 4), Finland (160.77, rank 5), and Hong Kong SAR, China (160.41, rank 6) round out the top six. Estonia (160.35, rank 7), Australia (160.27, rank 8), Lithuania (159.70, rank 9), and Latvia (159.49, rank 10) complete the top ten. All top-ten countries score above 159, indicating consistently high levels of female schooling attainment and learning quality. European countries account for the majority of the top 20 positions.

Notable patterns emerge in the middle and lower portions of the ranking. The Russian Federation ranks 16th at 154.98, placing above Switzerland (154.93, rank 17) and New Zealand (154.72, rank 19). China ranks 52nd at 133.31, while Vietnam ranks 63rd at 125.64, ahead of several wealthier Gulf states such as Oman (122.89, rank 65) and Kuwait (113.05, rank 82). Kenya (109.38, rank 89) outscores several larger middle-income countries including Mexico (108.59, rank 90) and Indonesia (99.03, rank 101). At the lower end, Sub-Saharan African countries cluster together: Niger ranks 176th at 28.46 and Afghanistan ranks last at 16.65. South Sudan (29.83, rank 174), Mali (29.19, rank 175), Chad (30.22, rank 173), and Yemen (30.63, rank 172) also score well below 35, forming a distinct low-score group.

Several data limitations apply. The metric covers 177 countries but 15 of 177 countries (8.5%) lack data from the most recent year (2025), meaning some scores may reflect older observations. Harmonized learning outcomes, which are used to adjust for quality, depend on the availability and comparability of standardized test results; countries without participation in international or regional assessments may have scores estimated through indirect methods, which can introduce uncertainty. The indicator does not capture informal education, vocational training outside formal schooling systems, or adult literacy programs. Scores reflect a composite construction, so two countries with similar scores may reach them through different combinations of enrollment rates and learning quality. Cross-country comparability can also be affected by differences in how school systems classify grade levels or age ranges.

Methodology

The metric is the Human Capital Index Plus (HCI+) education pillar score for females, reported on a scale of 0 to 188 where higher values are better. The source definition states: the human capital index plus (HCI+) education pillar score aggregates human capital accumulated during formal schooling, including pre-school, primary, secondary, and tertiary schooling, and the measure also captures learning quality through harmonized learning outcomes. Data are sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators under indicator code HD_HCIP_EDUC_FE with a reference year of 2025. The ranking covers 177 countries, above the 80-country minimum coverage threshold. Of these, 171 countries (96.6%) have data from the last seven years, and 162 of 177 (91.5%) have data from the latest year. All 177 data points (100%) are classified as official quality. No extreme outliers were identified at the three-standard-deviation threshold. Average year-over-year change is 6.4%, within the 50% volatility threshold. Values range from 16.65 (Afghanistan) to 170.73 (Korea, Rep.), a spread of 925.6%. The indicator does not cover informal education or training outside formal schooling systems.

Sources

• World Bank