Educational attainment rate … both short-cycle tertiary urban in Canada
Canada: Educational attainment rate … both short-cycle tertiary urban was 52.1% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
52.1%
World rank
9th
of 101 countries
All-time high
52.2%
in 2016
All-time low
21.4%
in 1986
Years of data
7
1986–2021
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Canada, 1986–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2021, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Canada stood at 52.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Canada peaked at 52.2% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 21.4%, in 1986.
That places Canada 9th out of 101 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
Educational attainment rate … both short-cycle tertiary urban in Canada, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 21.4% | — |
| 1991 | 23.7% | +10.6% |
| 2001 | 44.3% | +87.4% |
| 2006 | 46.5% | +4.9% |
| 2011 | 50.3% | +8.0% |
| 2016 | 52.2% | +3.8% |
| 2021 | 52.1% | -0.2% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 52.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 40.2%, 1.3× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 21.4% | 21.4% | 21.4% | 1 |
| 1990s | 23.7% | 23.7% | 23.7% | 1 |
| 2000s | 45.4% | 44.3% | 46.5% | 2 |
| 2010s | 51.2% | 50.3% | 52.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 52.1% | 52.1% | 52.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 6 Australia 53.4% compare
- 7 South Korea 52.9% compare
- 8 Armenia 52.4% compare
- 10 United States 52.1% compare
- 11 Lithuania 49.7% compare
- 12 Luxembourg 49.3% 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 52.1% 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 52.2% in 2016.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.4% in 1986.
- How does Canada rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
- Canada ranks 9th out of 101 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 3.5%. 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, urban, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release