Average years of schooling, males vs. females in Canada
Canada: Average years of schooling, males vs. females was 13.79 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Average years of schooling, males vs. females in Canada, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
Canada recorded 13.79 years for average years of schooling, males vs. females in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average years of schooling, males vs. females in Canada peaked at 13.79 years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 10.93 years, in 1990.
That places Canada 5th out of 191 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Average years of schooling, males vs. females in Canada, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 10.93 years | — |
| 1991 | 11.09 years | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 11.25 years | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 11.42 years | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 11.58 years | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 11.74 years | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 11.9 years | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 12.07 years | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 12.23 years | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 12.39 years | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 12.56 years | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 12.72 years | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 12.85 years | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 12.98 years | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 13.11 years | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 13.24 years | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 13.37 years | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 13.41 years | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 13.45 years | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 13.49 years | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 13.53 years | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 13.57 years | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 13.59 years | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 13.61 years | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 13.64 years | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 13.66 years | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 13.68 years | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 13.7 years | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 13.72 years | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 13.75 years | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 13.77 years | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 13.79 years | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 13.79 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 13.79 years | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.66 years | 10.93 years | 12.39 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.12 years | 12.56 years | 13.49 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.65 years | 13.53 years | 13.75 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.78 years | 13.77 years | 13.79 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 2 Switzerland 14.29 years compare
- 3 Iceland 13.83 years compare
- 4 United States 13.82 years compare
- 6 Lithuania 13.49 years compare
- 7 Israel 13.48 years compare
- 8 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 13.43 years compare
More education data for Canada
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.39 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.0807 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 564,540 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.08 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 1.84 million (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 1.28 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 96,008 (2000)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 45,037 (2000)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.03 million (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 0.2105 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average years of schooling, males vs. females in Canada?
- Average years of schooling, males vs. females in Canada was 13.79 years in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average years of schooling, males vs. females recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 13.79 years in 2021.
- What is the lowest average years of schooling, males vs. females recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.93 years in 1990.
- How does Canada rank for average years of schooling, males vs. females?
- Canada ranks 5th out of 191 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average years of schooling, males vs. females rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average years of schooling, males vs. females. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average number of years (excluding years spent repeating individual grades) men over 25 years participated in formal education.