According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), in 2016, nearly 970,000 women were more highly educated than their partners—accounting for 24% of women in relationships. While this share has edged up slightly in recent years, men remain the higher-educated partner in most cases. CBS analyzed education differences among cohabiting adults aged 25 and older, married or not. The proportion of men with higher education than their partners fell from 38% in 2003 to 34% in 2016, with over 40% of couples now equally educated.
This shift ties to rising overall education levels, which grew fastest among women between 2003 and 2016. The share of women with a bachelor's or higher climbed from 20% to 30%, compared to 27% to 33% for men. Meanwhile, those with low education—such as VMBO, MBO-1, lower HAVO/VWO, or primary school—declined across the board, while secondary education levels (HAVO, VWO, or higher MBO) held steady.
Younger women lead this trend: 32% of those aged 25-35 surpass their partners' education, versus just 14% of women 65+. Most couples show no difference or a one-level gap, like a master's holder with an HBO bachelor's partner.
However, when men hold the edge, the gap is often wider. Among cases where women out-educate partners, 26% involve a two-level or greater difference; for higher-educated men, it's 31%.
