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These things also depend on age. When I first started school in England, the school leaving age was 14. One could go on beyond that, but most people didn't. By the time I went to university, the leaving age had gone up to 15 and the proportion of people who went to university was miniscule. Higher degrees were also less commonly taken as well. Some of the dons who taught me at Oxford had only the MA. (I have that too, but put bachelor's degree in the poll, since for historical reasons the Oxford and Cambridge MAs don't involve extra work but merely acknowledge seniority.)
In my lifetime the school leaving age has risen to 16 and many new universities have come into existence, with the result that a much higher proportion of the population go on to tertiary education. With the increase in graduates, there has also arisen a need for higher degrees to differentiate more between graduates.
Going back to before my lifetime, my grandfather left school at 12. We who have had educational opportunities are truly lucky.
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