Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Australia
Australia: Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary was 81.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Australia, 1971–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in cumulative.
Analysis
The most recent figure for educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Australia is 81.8%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 1.4% on the previous year and up 7.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Australia peaked at 82.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 33.2%, in 1971.
That places Australia 31st out of 140 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Australia, year by year
| Year | cumulative | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 33.2% | — |
| 2001 | 68.1% | +104.9% |
| 2002 | 69.3% | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 68.8% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 69.7% | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 69.9% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 70.9% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 72.3% | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 73.1% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 73.5% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 75.0% | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 75.5% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 78.0% | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 74.0% | -5.1% |
| 2014 | 76.3% | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 77.8% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 78.3% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 79.0% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 79.8% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 80.3% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 81.0% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 82.5% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 82.7% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 80.6% | -2.5% |
| 2024 | 81.8% | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 33.2% | 33.2% | 33.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 70.6% | 68.1% | 73.5% | 9 |
| 2010s | 77.4% | 74.0% | 80.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 81.7% | 80.6% | 82.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More education data for Australia
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 6.79 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 79,796 (1997)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 23,978 (1997)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.05 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 6.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 781,455 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 7.12 % change on previous year (2024)
- Theoretical duration of primary education (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Australia?
- Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Australia was 81.8% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 82.7% in 2022.
- What is the lowest educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.2% in 1971.
- How does Australia rank for educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary?
- Australia ranks 31st out of 140 countries with data for 2024.
- Is educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia 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 upper secondary, population 25+, male (%) (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 upper secondary education.