Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia

Australia: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 43.8% in 2024. β–² Rising

Latest (2024)
43.8%
Change on year
up 3.3%
World rank
13th
of 129 countries
All-time high
44.0%
in 2022
All-time low
29.0%
in 2004
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia, 2001–2024

0102030402001201220242001: 29.2 %2002: 29.5 %2003: 29.8 %2004: 29 %2005: 30.2 %2006: 30.6 %2007: 31.4 %2008: 32.7 %2009: 33.8 %2010: 34.1 %2011: 34.6 %2012: 37.6 %2013: 33.5 %2014: 36.7 %2015: 36.8 %2016: 38 %2017: 38.3 %2018: 38.7 %2019: 40.5 %2020: 41.8 %2021: 42.6 %2022: 44 %2023: 42.3 %2024: 43.8 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Australia recorded 43.8% for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in 2024.

That represents a change of up 3.3% on the previous year and up 19.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia peaked at 44.0% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 29.0%, in 2004.

That places Australia 13th out of 129 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 30.7% 29.0% 33.8% 9
2010s 36.9% 33.5% 40.5% 10
2020s 42.9% 41.8% 44.0% 5

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 10 Canada 45.4% compare
  2. 11 Ireland 45.1% compare
  3. 12 Saudi Arabia 44.6% compare
  4. 14 Ukraine 42.9% compare
  5. 15 Cyprus 42.4% compare
  6. 16 Armenia, Republic of 41.7% compare

See the full ranking of 129 places β†’

More education data for Australia

All data for Australia β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia?
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia was 43.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 44.0% in 2022.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 29.0% in 2004.
How does Australia rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Australia ranks 13th out of 129 countries with data for 2024.
Is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is up 19.1%. 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 short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-education-or-higher-population-2/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
129 places, 2,126 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release