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

Australia: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 29.6% in 2024. β–² Rising

Latest (2024)
29.6%
Change on year
up 3.3%
World rank
13th
of 95 countries
All-time high
29.6%
in 2024
All-time low
17.7%
in 2003
Years of data
24
2001–2024

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

01020302001201220242001: 17.9 %2002: 17.9 %2003: 17.7 %2004: 20.7 %2005: 18.8 %2006: 21 %2007: 20.4 %2008: 22.5 %2009: 21.5 %2010: 23.2 %2011: 21.5 %2012: 23.7 %2013: 23.8 %2014: 22.4 %2015: 19.9 %2016: 21.9 %2017: 22.3 %2018: 23.5 %2019: 23.4 %2020: 23.7 %2021: 24.9 %2022: 27.8 %2023: 28.7 %2024: 29.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia is 29.6%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

The figure is up 3.3% on the previous year and up 32.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia peaked at 29.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 17.7%, in 2003.

That places Australia 13th out of 95 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 19.8% 17.7% 22.5% 9
2010s 22.6% 19.9% 23.8% 10
2020s 26.9% 23.7% 29.6% 5

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 10 Belgium 32.7% compare
  2. 11 Netherlands 30.3% compare
  3. 12 Canada 30.2% compare
  4. 14 Germany 29.1% compare
  5. 15 Cyprus 27.3% compare
  6. 16 Tajikistan, Republic of 26.4% compare

See the full ranking of 95 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 29.6% 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 29.6% in 2024.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 17.7% in 2003.
How does Australia rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Australia ranks 13th 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 32.2%. 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, 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-9/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, rural, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
95 places, 1,549 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release