Educational attainment rate … rural both post-secondary non-tertiary in Canada
Canada: Educational attainment rate … rural both post-secondary non-tertiary was 55.1% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
55.1%
World rank
3rd
of 79 countries
All-time high
55.1%
in 2021
All-time low
22.9%
in 1976
Years of data
6
1976–2021
Educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary in Canada, 1976–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Canada recorded 55.1% for educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary in 2021. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary in Canada peaked at 55.1% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 22.9%, in 1976.
Canada ranks 3rd of 79 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Educational attainment rate … rural both post-secondary non-tertiary in Canada, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 22.9% | — |
| 1981 | 29.3% | +27.9% |
| 2006 | 48.8% | +66.2% |
| 2011 | 53.1% | +8.9% |
| 2016 | 54.3% | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 55.1% | +1.4% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 55.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 30.3%, 1.8× the median. (40 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22.9% | 22.9% | 22.9% | 1 |
| 1980s | 29.3% | 29.3% | 29.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 48.8% | 48.8% | 48.8% | 1 |
| 2010s | 53.7% | 53.1% | 54.3% | 2 |
| 2020s | 55.1% | 55.1% | 55.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 1 Ireland 58.0% compare
- 2 Lithuania 55.7% compare
- 4 New Zealand 45.5% compare
- 5 Luxembourg 44.8% compare
- 6 Sweden 42.1% compare
More education data for Canada
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 95.11 (2023)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 95.01 (2023)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 133,275 (1996)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2011)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 291,075 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 273,465 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.70 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.43 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary in Canada?
- Educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary in Canada was 55.1% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 55.1% in 2021.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.9% in 1976.
- How does Canada rank for educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary?
- Canada ranks 3rd out of 79 countries with data for 2021.
- Is educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, rural, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release