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

Australia: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 53.4% in 2024. β–² Rising

Latest (2024)
53.4%
Change on year
up 1.7%
World rank
6th
of 101 countries
All-time high
53.4%
in 2024
All-time low
30.2%
in 2001
Years of data
24
2001–2024

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

02040602001201220242001: 30.2 %2002: 30.6 %2003: 31.6 %2004: 35.1 %2005: 32.8 %2006: 33.3 %2007: 33.6 %2008: 35 %2009: 35.2 %2010: 43.1 %2011: 44.7 %2012: 47.9 %2013: 42.9 %2014: 40.8 %2015: 41.8 %2016: 42.9 %2017: 44.1 %2018: 44.8 %2019: 46 %2020: 48.3 %2021: 48.6 %2022: 50.1 %2023: 52.5 %2024: 53.4 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia is 53.4%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

The figure is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 30.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia peaked at 53.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 30.2%, in 2001.

That places Australia 6th out of 101 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 33.0% 30.2% 35.2% 9
2010s 43.9% 40.8% 47.9% 10
2020s 50.6% 48.3% 53.4% 5

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 3 Ukraine 57.0% compare
  2. 4 Moldova 56.4% compare
  3. 5 Ireland 56.1% compare
  4. 7 Korea 52.9% compare
  5. 8 Armenia 52.4% compare
  6. 9 Canada 52.1% compare

See the full ranking of 101 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 53.4% 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 53.4% in 2024.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 30.2% in 2001.
How does Australia rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Australia ranks 6th out of 101 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 30.8%. 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, urban, both sexes (%). 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 20 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-education-or-higher-population-5/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, urban, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
101 places, 1,599 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release