Educational attainment rate … attainment short-cycle tertiary rural in Canada
Canada: Educational attainment rate … attainment short-cycle tertiary rural was 30.2% in 2021. ▲ Rising
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 30.2%.
That represents a change of down 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Canada peaked at 31.7% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 12.5%, in 1986.
That places Canada 12th out of 95 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
Educational attainment rate … attainment short-cycle tertiary rural in Canada, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 12.5% | — |
| 1991 | 13.8% | +9.7% |
| 2001 | 21.8% | +58.7% |
| 2006 | 28.4% | +30.1% |
| 2011 | 30.6% | +7.6% |
| 2016 | 31.7% | +3.7% |
| 2021 | 30.2% | -4.8% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 30.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 22.5%, 1.3× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12.5% | 12.5% | 12.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 13.8% | 13.8% | 13.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 25.1% | 21.8% | 28.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 31.2% | 30.6% | 31.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 30.2% | 30.2% | 30.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Canada
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 30.2% 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 31.7% in 2016.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.5% in 1986.
- How does Canada rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
- Canada ranks 12th out of 95 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 down 1.3%. 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, rural, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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