Israel is the second most educated country in the world, says a report released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

According to the OECD’s Education at a Glance 2011 report, 78% of the money invested in education in Israel is taken directly from public funds, while 45% of Israel’s population has a university or college diploma.

Open gallery view Students at Tel Aviv University. Credit: Tali Meir

Israel also had the largest increase in overall population, approximately 19.02% from 2000 to 2009.

The report shows that while education has improved across the board, it has not improved evenly, with some countries enjoying much greater rates of educational attainment than others.

According to 24/7 Wall St., which helped compile the data, the countries included in the list have had educated populations for a long time. While they have steadily increased the percentages of their populations with post-secondary educations, the increases are modest compared to developing countries.

According to the report, the ten most educated countries in the world are: Canada, Israel, Japan, US, New Zealand, South Korea, Norway, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Finland.