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

Australia: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 47.5% in 2024. β–² Rising

Latest (2024)
47.5%
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
11th
of 129 countries
All-time high
48.7%
in 2022
All-time low
28.7%
in 2001
Years of data
24
2001–2024

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

010203040502001201220242001: 28.7 %2002: 29.2 %2003: 30.1 %2004: 30.8 %2005: 31.7 %2006: 33 %2007: 33.7 %2008: 35.8 %2009: 36.8 %2010: 37.5 %2011: 38.4 %2012: 41.3 %2013: 37.2 %2014: 39.5 %2015: 40.4 %2016: 41.4 %2017: 42.6 %2018: 43.3 %2019: 44.5 %2020: 46.5 %2021: 47 %2022: 48.7 %2023: 46.5 %2024: 47.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Australia recorded 47.5% for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in 2024.

That represents a change of up 2.0% on the previous year and up 20.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Australia peaked at 48.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 28.7%, in 2001.

Australia ranks 11th of 129 countries on this measure, 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 32.2% 28.7% 36.8% 9
2010s 40.6% 37.2% 44.5% 10
2020s 47.2% 46.5% 48.7% 5

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 8 Canada 49.3% compare
  2. 9 United Kingdom 48.7% compare
  3. 10 Ukraine 47.8% compare
  4. 12 Luxembourg 46.4% compare
  5. 13 Armenia, Republic of 46.4% compare
  6. 14 Sweden 45.2% compare

See the full ranking of 129 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 47.5% 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 48.7% in 2022.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 28.7% in 2001.
How does Australia rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Australia ranks 11th out of 129 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 20.1%. 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, 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 19 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-education-or-higher-population/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
129 places, 2,142 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release