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Welsh Government
Data Provider: Welsh Government Highest qualification levels of working age adults by economic activity and qualification
None
Year[Filtered]
Sex[Filter]
Sex 1[Filter]
Measure1
QualificationLevel of the highest qualification held. Data have previously been presented as NVQ equivalencies. From September 2004, the National Qualification Framework (NQF) was expanded and the former levels 4 and 5 were divided into more precise levels (4-8). From 2022 the questions, previously based on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), have been updated to reflect the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). More detail on this is provided in the quality information of the statistical release. [Filtered]
[Collapse]Econ ActivityEconomic activity of working age adults. Excludes those in full-time education. Economic activity are presented according to whether they are in employment, ILO unemployed (i.e unemployed according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition) or economically inactive. [Filter]
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Econ Activity 1
Click here to sortNo qualificationsPersons who reported holding no qualificationsClick here to sortQualified to below level 2Persons who are qualified to below level 2 and no higherClick here to sortQualified to level 2Persons who are qualified to level 2 and no higherClick here to sortQualified to level 3Persons who are qualified to level 3 and no higherClick here to sortQualified to levels 4-6Persons who are qualified to levels 4-6 and no higherClick here to sortQualified to levels 7-8Persons who are qualified to level 7-8 and no higherClick here to sortQualified to level 2 or abovePersons who are qualified to at least level 2 and includes persons qualified to a higher levelClick here to sortQualified to level 3 or abovePersons who are qualified to at least level 3 and includes persons qualified to a higher levelClick here to sortQualified to level 4 or abovePersons who are qualified to at least level 4 and includes persons qualified to a higher levelClick here to sortAll persons
[Collapse]In employmentIn employment491.6731.3810.4884.0926.2965.7892.9919.9936.9839.2
[Collapse]Not in employment (ILO unemployed or inactive)608.4368.7289.6216.0173.8134.3207.1180.1163.1260.8
Not in employment (ILO unemployed or inactive)ILO unemployed45.753.339.432.624.820.329.926.723.634.1
Economically inactive563.0315.7250.3183.5149.2114.1177.2153.6139.4226.6
[Expand]Total1,100.01,100.01,100.01,100.01,100.01,100.01,100.01,100.01,100.01,100.0

Metadata

Title

Levels of highest qualifications held by working age adults by economic activity and sex

Last update

30 April 2025 30 April 2025

Next update

April 2026 (provisional)

Publishing organisation

Welsh Government

Source 1

Annual Population Survey, Office for National Statistics

Contact email

LabourMarket.Stats@gov.wales

Designation

National Statistics

Lowest level of geographical disaggregation

Wales

Geographical coverage

Wales

Languages covered

English and Welsh

Data licensing

You may use and re-use this data free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government License - see http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence

General description

Data are presented for working age adults i.e. on basis of males and females aged 18-64 – according to their age at the start of the academic year. Note that data for working age adults, on the basis of males and females aged 18-64, are only available from 2008 onwards.

Data collection and calculation

Source: Annual Population Survey/Welsh Local Labour Force Survey, Office for National Statistics

The data presented are based on the results of the Annual Population Survey for 2004 onwards, and from the annual Local Labour Force Survey for Wales for 2001-2003, both of which are household surveys carried out by the Office for National Statistics.

From 2001, annual Local Labour Force Survey (LLFS) data collected in Wales were based on a significantly enhanced sample.
The survey asks respondents for qualifications that they hold, and from this information the highest qualification held by the respondent is calculated. The highest qualifications are grouped into levels. Figures are provided for those obtaining qualifications at least at a certain level, and qualifications up to and including a certain level.

Data have previously been presented as NVQ equivalencies. From September 2004, the National Qualification Framework (NQF) was expanded and the former levels 4 and 5 were divided into more precise levels (4-8). Data are now presented according to this classification.

The statistics presented here for 2022 are not comparable with previous years due to the changes to the qualification questions in the Labour Force Survey/Annual Population Survey. The questions, previously based on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), have been updated to reflect the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). More detail on this is provided in the quality information of the statistical release.


Frequency of publication

Annual

Data reference periods

Since 2004, the annual data have been produced on a rolling annual basis, updated every three months. The rolling annual averages are on a calendar basis with the first rolling annual average presented here covering the period 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008.

Users, uses and context

The statistics are used within the Welsh Government to monitor trends in qualification levels. This release contains data for one of the national indicators (8 - percentage of adults with qualifications at the different levels of the National Qualifications Framework) and two related national milestones.
These statistics, along with the national indicator and national milestones are specifically included within Stronger, fairer, greener Wales: a plan for employability and skills.


Rounding applied

Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.

Keywords

Qualifications

Statistical quality

As the data come from a survey, the results are sample-based estimates and therefore subject to differing degrees of sampling variability, i.e. the true value for any measure lies in a differing range about the estimated value. This range or sampling variability increases as the detail in the data increases; for example local authority data are subject to higher variability than regional data.

These estimates were previously classed as accredited official statistics. The APS has seen a fall in sample sizes over recent years, given this and the fact that the survey has not been reweighted to latest population estimates, the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) has agreed that this accreditation should be temporarily suspended and that the estimates should be re-designated as official statistics (OSR).

It is still appropriate to use these statistics, however users should note the increased uncertainty around estimates derived from the APS. At a national level, estimates continue to provide a reasonable indication of trends for Wales, however, estimates for smaller geographies or population sub-groups are less reliable.