Educational attainment rate, completed … short-cycle tertiary male in Canada
Canada: Educational attainment rate, completed … short-cycle tertiary male was 45.4% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
45.4%
World rank
10th
of 129 countries
All-time high
48.1%
in 1997
All-time low
21.8%
in 1986
Years of data
8
1986–2021
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Canada, 1986–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Canada recorded 45.4% for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Canada peaked at 48.1% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 21.8%, in 1986.
That places Canada 10th out of 129 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
Educational attainment rate, completed … short-cycle tertiary male in Canada, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 21.8% | — |
| 1991 | 23.6% | +8.1% |
| 1997 | 48.1% | +103.7% |
| 2001 | 34.4% | -28.5% |
| 2006 | 41.8% | +21.6% |
| 2011 | 44.5% | +6.5% |
| 2016 | 45.3% | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 45.4% | +0.3% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 45.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 34.0%, 1.3× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 21.8% | 21.8% | 21.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 35.8% | 23.6% | 48.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 38.1% | 34.4% | 41.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 44.9% | 44.5% | 45.3% | 2 |
| 2020s | 45.4% | 45.4% | 45.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 7 United Kingdom 46.8% compare
- 8 Luxembourg 46.8% compare
- 9 Switzerland 46.1% compare
- 11 Ireland 45.1% compare
- 12 Saudi Arabia 44.6% compare
- 13 Australia 43.8% 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 short-cycle tertiary education in Canada?
- Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Canada was 45.4% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 48.1% in 1997.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.8% in 1986.
- How does Canada rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
- Canada ranks 10th out of 129 countries with data for 2021.
- Is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.1%. 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 short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release