Australia vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education
Australia
47.5%
in 2024
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
48.7%
in 2021
Australia rank
11th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
9th
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education over time
- Australia
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 48.7% against 47.5% in Australia, a difference of 1.2%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 9 shared years of data; in 2009 it was Australia ahead.
Australia ranks 11th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 9th of 129 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 2 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 36.8% | 31.5% | 5.3% | Australia |
| 2010s | 39.4% | 37.4% | 2.0% | Australia |
| 2020s | 46.7% | 48.0% | 1.2% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
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 of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 48.7% against 47.5% in Australia as of 2021.
- What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education between Australia and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 1.2%, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 9 years are reported by both, from 2009 to 2021.
- How do Australia and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
- Australia ranks 11th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 9th of 129 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, both sexes (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release