Mean years of schooling long run in Australia
Australia: Mean years of schooling long run was 12.93 in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2020)
12.93
World rank
7th
of 111 countries
All-time high
12.93
in 2020
All-time low
1.72
in 1870
Years of data
31
1870–2020
Mean years of schooling long run in Australia, 1870–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Australia recorded 12.93 for mean years of schooling long run in 2020. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 10.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean years of schooling long run in Australia peaked at 12.93 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.72, in 1870.
That places Australia 7th out of 111 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Mean years of schooling long run in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 1.72 | — |
| 1875 | 1.86 | +8.1% |
| 1880 | 2.06 | +10.8% |
| 1885 | 2.39 | +16.0% |
| 1890 | 2.74 | +14.6% |
| 1895 | 2.97 | +8.4% |
| 1900 | 3.09 | +4.0% |
| 1905 | 3.36 | +8.7% |
| 1910 | 3.87 | +15.2% |
| 1915 | 4.29 | +10.9% |
| 1920 | 4.71 | +9.8% |
| 1925 | 5.46 | +15.9% |
| 1930 | 6.01 | +10.1% |
| 1935 | 6.56 | +9.2% |
| 1940 | 7.02 | +7.0% |
| 1945 | 7.48 | +6.6% |
| 1950 | 8.21 | +9.8% |
| 1955 | 8.49 | +3.4% |
| 1960 | 8.78 | +3.4% |
| 1965 | 9.19 | +4.7% |
| 1970 | 10.11 | +10.0% |
| 1975 | 10.8 | +6.8% |
| 1980 | 11.4 | +5.6% |
| 1985 | 11.43 | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 11.44 | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 11.51 | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 11.37 | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 11.71 | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 11.69 | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 12.92 | +10.5% |
| 2020 | 12.93 | +0.1% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 12.93 is above the median for high income countries, which is 11.82, 1.1× the median. (41 countries reporting)
- Australia's 12.93 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 10.81, 1.2× the median. (13 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 1.79 | 1.72 | 1.86 | 2 |
| 1880s | 2.23 | 2.06 | 2.39 | 2 |
| 1890s | 2.86 | 2.74 | 2.97 | 2 |
| 1900s | 3.22 | 3.09 | 3.36 | 2 |
| 1910s | 4.08 | 3.87 | 4.29 | 2 |
| 1920s | 5.08 | 4.71 | 5.46 | 2 |
| 1930s | 6.29 | 6.01 | 6.56 | 2 |
| 1940s | 7.25 | 7.02 | 7.48 | 2 |
| 1950s | 8.35 | 8.21 | 8.49 | 2 |
| 1960s | 8.98 | 8.78 | 9.19 | 2 |
| 1970s | 10.46 | 10.11 | 10.8 | 2 |
| 1980s | 11.41 | 11.4 | 11.43 | 2 |
| 1990s | 11.47 | 11.44 | 11.51 | 2 |
| 2000s | 11.54 | 11.37 | 11.71 | 2 |
| 2010s | 12.3 | 11.69 | 12.92 | 2 |
| 2020s | 12.93 | 12.93 | 12.93 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 4 United States 13.32 compare
- 5 Germany 13.1 compare
- 6 Switzerland 12.97 compare
- 7 Canada 12.93 compare
- 7 Czechia 12.93 compare
- 10 United Kingdom 12.9 compare
More education data for Australia
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 99.9 (2023)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 99.88 (2024)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 104,110 (1992)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 316,638 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 292,593 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.65 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.27 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.4362 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean years of schooling long run in Australia?
- Mean years of schooling long run in Australia was 12.93 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest mean years of schooling long run recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 12.93 in 2020.
- What is the lowest mean years of schooling long run recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.72 in 1870.
- How does Australia rank for mean years of schooling long run?
- Australia ranks 7th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is mean years of schooling long run rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Mean years of schooling long run. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).