Educational attainment rate … both post-secondary non-tertiary in Australia
Australia: Educational attainment rate … both post-secondary non-tertiary was 52.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary in Australia, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary in Australia is 52.4%, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 18.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary in Australia peaked at 53.9% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 21.5%, in 1971.
That places Australia 12th out of 110 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Educational attainment rate … both post-secondary non-tertiary in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 21.5% | — |
| 2001 | 47.1% | +119.0% |
| 2004 | 33.4% | -29.1% |
| 2005 | 34.2% | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 35.7% | +4.5% |
| 2007 | 36.7% | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 39.4% | +7.1% |
| 2009 | 40.6% | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 41.8% | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 42.7% | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 46.5% | +8.8% |
| 2013 | 41.6% | -10.4% |
| 2014 | 44.3% | +6.3% |
| 2015 | 45.4% | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 46.5% | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 47.7% | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 48.3% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 49.6% | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 51.6% | +3.9% |
| 2021 | 52.4% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 53.9% | +2.9% |
| 2023 | 51.7% | -4.1% |
| 2024 | 52.4% | +1.5% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 52.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 39.4%, 1.3× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Australia's 52.4% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 26.1%, 2.0× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Educational attainment rate … both post-secondary non-tertiary in Australia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +119.0% | 21.5% | 47.1% |
| 2004 | -29.1% | 47.1% | 33.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 21.5% | 21.5% | 21.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 38.1% | 33.4% | 47.1% | 7 |
| 2010s | 45.4% | 41.6% | 49.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 52.4% | 51.6% | 53.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More education data for Australia
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 99.9 (2023)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 99.88 (2024)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 104,110 (1992)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 316,638 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 292,593 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.65 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.27 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.4362 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary in Australia?
- Educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary in Australia was 52.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 53.9% in 2022.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.5% in 1971.
- How does Australia rank for educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary?
- Australia ranks 12th out of 110 countries with data for 2024.
- Is educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia 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, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release