Australia vs United Kingdom: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education

Australia
51.0%
in 2024
United Kingdom
50.5%
in 2021
Australia rank
10th
United Kingdom rank
11th

Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education over time

  • Australia
  • United Kingdom
1020304050197119972024

How they compare

Australia currently reports 51.0% against 50.5% in United Kingdom, a difference of 0.5%.

Across all 9 years both countries report, Australia has been ahead every year.

Australia ranks 10th and United Kingdom ranks 11th of 128 countries.

Australia has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Australia United Kingdom Difference Ahead
2000s 39.8% 31.3% 8.4% Australia
2010s 43.0% 37.8% 5.1% Australia
2020s 51.1% 49.9% 1.2% Australia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education, Australia or United Kingdom?
Australia, at 51.0% against 50.5% in United Kingdom as of 2024.
What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education between Australia and United Kingdom?
0.5%, with Australia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and United Kingdom?
9 years are reported by both, from 2009 to 2021.
How do Australia and United Kingdom rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Australia ranks 10th and United Kingdom ranks 11th of 128 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, female (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Australia vs United Kingdom: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/educational-attainment-rate-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-education-or-higher-population-3/australia/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
128 places, 2,110 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release