Educational attainment rate, completed upper … upper urban both in Canada
Canada: Educational attainment rate, completed upper … upper urban both was 87.5% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Canada, 1986–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Canada is 87.5%, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Canada peaked at 87.5% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 46.9%, in 1986.
Canada ranks 16th of 108 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Educational attainment rate, completed upper … upper urban both in Canada, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 46.9% | — |
| 1991 | 51.9% | +10.7% |
| 2001 | 69.1% | +33.1% |
| 2006 | 81.2% | +17.4% |
| 2011 | 84.1% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 85.7% | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 87.5% | +2.2% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 87.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 81.8%, 1.1× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 46.9% | 46.9% | 46.9% | 1 |
| 1990s | 51.9% | 51.9% | 51.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 75.2% | 69.1% | 81.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 84.9% | 84.1% | 85.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 87.5% | 87.5% | 87.5% | 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 upper secondary education or in Canada?
- Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Canada was 87.5% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 87.5% in 2021.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.9% in 1986.
- How does Canada rank for educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or?
- Canada ranks 16th out of 108 countries with data for 2021.
- Is educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.0%. 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 upper secondary 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