The bar chart compares the average number of years that adult males and females spent in school between 2000 and 2010, while the two pie charts illustrate the proportions of adults with different educational qualifications in 2000 and 2010.
Overall, both the average years of schooling and the level of educational qualifications improved over the decade. Men consistently spent more time in education than women, though the gap between them remained fairly stable. In terms of qualifications, the proportion of people with secondary and university degrees increased, whereas those with only primary education or no qualifications declined.
In 2000, adult males spent around 8 years at school on average, compared with approximately 7 years for females. Both figures rose gradually over the decade, reaching roughly 11 years for men and just under 9 years for women in 2010. The most notable increase occurred between 2006 and 2008, particularly among men, whose average schooling jumped by almost two years. Despite this steady rise, men consistently had about two more years of education than women throughout the period.