In 2016, 970 thousand women were higher educated than their partners. That means that 24 percent of women in a relationship have the highest degree. Although this share has grown slightly in recent years, men are still more likely to be the most highly educated in a relationship. This is evident from new figures from Statistics Netherlands. Statistics Netherlands has investigated the differences in education level of men and women aged 25 or older and their partner, with whom they live together, whether married or not. The group of men with a higher education level than their partner shrank from 38 percent to 34 percent between 2003 and 2016. In more than 40 percent, both partners were equally highly educated.
The fact that women are increasingly the most highly educated partner is related to the increase in the average level of education. The group of highly educated people grew between 2003 and 2016 among both men and women, but this growth was strongest among women. The proportion of women with a bachelor's degree or higher rose from 20 to 30 percent, for men this rose from 27 to 33 percent. Across the board, the percentage of people with a low level of education, people who have completed VMBO, MBO-1, HAVO or VWO lower secondary education or primary education, shrank. The group of people with secondary education remained about the same size. These are people who have completed HAVO, VWO or other MBO levels.
Younger women are more likely to be higher educated than their partners than older women. Of 25 to 35-year-old women, 32 percent have a higher education level than their partner. This is 14 percent for women aged 65 or older. For most couples there is no difference in education level or the difference is only one level, for example if a person with a completed university master's degree has a relationship with a person with a completed HBO bachelor's degree.
If the man has the highest level of education, the difference in level is often greater than if the woman has the highest level of education. If women are higher educated than their partner, in 26 percent of the cases this is a difference of two education levels or more. Of the higher educated men, 31 percent have two more education levels.
