The two pie charts provide information about the proportion of qualified graduates in a specific nation in 1980 and 2008.
Overall, at the beginning of the period, Master Science represented the largest percentage, while PhD Arts had the smallest share. By the end of the period, PhD Science had become the most popular subject, while PhD Arts remained the least represented.
In 1980, Master Science accounted for 29% of total graduates, making it the most significant category. This was considerably higher than Master Arts, which made up 12%. First Degree Arts held a notable 25%, ranking second after Master Science. The difference between First Degree Science and PhD Science was minimal, with 19% and 13% respectively, together forming more than one-third of the total. On the other hand, PhD Arts represented only 2%, the smallest proportion.
By 2008, significant changes occurred. PhD Science rose sharply from 13% to 30%, becoming the largest category. In contrast, First Degree Arts experienced a steep decline, dropping from 25% to 11%. The gap between PhD Arts and First Degree Science narrowed, with the latter decreasing to 10%. Despite these shifts, Master Science and Master Arts remained relatively stable, contributing 29% and 13%, respectively, over the period.