Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Canada

Canada: Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or was 87.5% in 2021. β–² Rising

Latest (2021)
87.5%
World rank
16th
of 108 countries
All-time high
87.5%
in 2021
All-time low
46.9%
in 1986
Years of data
7
1986–2021

Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Canada, 1986–2021

0204060801986200320211986: 46.9 %1991: 51.9 %2001: 69.1 %2006: 81.2 %2011: 84.1 %2016: 85.7 %2021: 87.5 %

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 13 Estonia 89.7% compare
  2. 14 Hungary 88.3% compare
  3. 15 Moldova, Republic of 88.2% compare
  4. 17 Bulgaria 87.4% compare
  5. 18 Croatia 86.6% compare
  6. 19 Ireland 86.2% compare

See the full ranking of 108 places β†’

More education data for Canada

All data for Canada β†’

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.

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Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Canada. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-upper-secondary-education-or-higher-population-25-5/canada/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or higher, population 25+ years, urban, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
108 places, 1,747 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release