Share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Australia
Australia: Share of the population with a completed post secondary education was 52.42 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Australia, 1971–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Australia recorded 52.42 for share of the population with a completed post secondary education in 2024.
That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and up 18.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Australia peaked at 53.86 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 21.5, in 1971.
That places Australia 12th out of 110 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 21.5 | — |
| 2001 | 47.08 | +119.0% |
| 2004 | 33.37 | -29.1% |
| 2005 | 34.2 | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 35.73 | +4.5% |
| 2007 | 36.74 | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 39.36 | +7.1% |
| 2009 | 40.56 | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 41.8 | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 42.7 | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 46.46 | +8.8% |
| 2013 | 41.64 | -10.4% |
| 2014 | 44.26 | +6.3% |
| 2015 | 45.35 | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 46.47 | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 47.67 | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 48.3 | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 49.62 | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 51.56 | +3.9% |
| 2021 | 52.37 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 53.86 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | 51.67 | -4.1% |
| 2024 | 52.42 | +1.5% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 52.42 is above the median for high income countries, which is 39.39, 1.3× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Australia's 52.42 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 26.07, 2.0× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Australia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +119.0% | 21.5 | 47.08 |
| 2004 | -29.1% | 47.08 | 33.37 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 21.5 | 21.5 | 21.5 | 1 |
| 2000s | 38.15 | 33.37 | 47.08 | 7 |
| 2010s | 45.43 | 41.64 | 49.62 | 10 |
| 2020s | 52.38 | 51.56 | 53.86 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
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 share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Australia?
- Share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Australia was 52.42 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with a completed post secondary education recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 53.86 in 2022.
- What is the lowest share of the population with a completed post secondary education recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.5 in 1971.
- How does Australia rank for share of the population with a completed post secondary education?
- Australia ranks 12th out of 110 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of the population with a completed post secondary education rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population with a completed post secondary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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