Educational attainment rate … Educational short-cycle tertiary rural in Australia
Australia: Educational attainment rate … Educational short-cycle tertiary rural was 35.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia, 2001–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia is 35.4%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 25.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia peaked at 35.6% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 18.6%, in 2001.
That places Australia 10th out of 95 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.
Educational attainment rate … Educational short-cycle tertiary rural in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 18.6% | — |
| 2002 | 19.5% | +4.5% |
| 2003 | 19.6% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 23.5% | +19.8% |
| 2005 | 20.1% | -14.4% |
| 2006 | 22.6% | +12.1% |
| 2007 | 22.8% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 24.1% | +5.5% |
| 2009 | 23.5% | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 28.0% | +18.7% |
| 2011 | 26.6% | -4.8% |
| 2012 | 28.8% | +8.2% |
| 2013 | 30.5% | +5.9% |
| 2014 | 28.3% | -7.3% |
| 2015 | 27.2% | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 28.7% | +5.5% |
| 2017 | 30.0% | +4.5% |
| 2018 | 30.4% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 31.5% | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 30.8% | -2.3% |
| 2021 | 32.3% | +4.8% |
| 2022 | 35.6% | +10.2% |
| 2023 | 34.8% | -2.1% |
| 2024 | 35.4% | +1.5% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 35.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 25.0%, 1.4× the median. (41 countries reporting)
- Australia's 35.4% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 15.4%, 2.3× the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 21.6% | 18.6% | 24.1% | 9 |
| 2010s | 29.0% | 26.6% | 31.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.8% | 30.8% | 35.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 7 United States 39.1% compare
- 8 Belgium 37.0% compare
- 9 Canada 36.9% compare
- 11 Switzerland 34.6% compare
- 12 South Korea 33.8% compare
- 13 Sweden 33.5% compare
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 short-cycle tertiary education in Australia?
- Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia was 35.4% 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 35.6% in 2022.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.6% in 2001.
- How does Australia rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
- Australia ranks 10th out of 95 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 25.1%. 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, rural, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release