Educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population in Canada
Canada: Educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population was 70.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population in Canada, 1976–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in cumulative.
Analysis
Canada recorded 70.2% for educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population in 2024. That is the highest value across all 37 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population in Canada peaked at 70.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 28.5%, in 1976.
That places Canada 2nd out of 111 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population in Canada, year by year
| Year | cumulative | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 28.5% | — |
| 1981 | 34.7% | +21.6% |
| 1990 | 33.3% | -4.2% |
| 1991 | 33.9% | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 34.9% | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 36.6% | +4.9% |
| 1994 | 39.3% | +7.3% |
| 1995 | 40.2% | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 41.2% | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 43.4% | +5.2% |
| 1998 | 44.2% | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 45.2% | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 45.7% | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 47.3% | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 48.4% | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 49.5% | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 50.5% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 52.2% | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 54.2% | +3.9% |
| 2007 | 54.3% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 55.1% | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 55.5% | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 57.0% | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 58.6% | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 59.0% | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 59.7% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 59.9% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 61.0% | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 60.4% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 62.9% | +4.1% |
| 2018 | 64.0% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 65.1% | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 66.1% | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 62.9% | -4.9% |
| 2022 | 68.6% | +9.0% |
| 2023 | 69.2% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 70.2% | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 28.5% | 28.5% | 28.5% | 1 |
| 1980s | 34.7% | 34.7% | 34.7% | 1 |
| 1990s | 39.2% | 33.3% | 45.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 51.3% | 45.7% | 55.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.8% | 57.0% | 65.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 67.4% | 62.9% | 70.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 1 Kazakhstan 79.0% compare
- 3 Lithuania 68.8% compare
- 4 Ireland 65.9% compare
- 5 United Arab Emirates 61.2% compare
More education data for Canada
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,022 tertiary education (2023)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0495 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 141,045 (2000)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 64.8% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 15.0% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population in Canada?
- Educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population in Canada was 70.2% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 70.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.5% in 1976.
- How does Canada rank for educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population?
- Canada ranks 2nd out of 111 countries with data for 2024.
- Is educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Educational attainment, at least completed post-secondary, population 25+, female (%) (cumulative). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed post-secondary non-tertiary education.