Share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Canada
Canada: Share of the population with a completed post secondary education was 68.85 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
68.85
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
2nd
of 110 countries
All-time high
68.85
in 2024
All-time low
30.91
in 1976
Years of data
37
1976–2024
Share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Canada, 1976–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Canada stood at 68.85. That is the highest value across all 37 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 15.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Canada peaked at 68.85 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 30.91, in 1976.
Canada ranks 2nd of 110 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 30.91 | — |
| 1981 | 35.29 | +14.2% |
| 1990 | 36.09 | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 36.46 | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 37.53 | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 39.05 | +4.0% |
| 1994 | 41.57 | +6.4% |
| 1995 | 42.58 | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 43.35 | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 45.65 | +5.3% |
| 1998 | 46.37 | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 47.15 | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 47.55 | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 49.12 | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 50.02 | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 51.19 | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 51.87 | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 53.29 | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 55.98 | +5.0% |
| 2007 | 55.23 | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 55.75 | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 56.22 | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 57.32 | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 59.64 | +4.0% |
| 2012 | 58.95 | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 59.44 | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 59.85 | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 60.88 | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 60.41 | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 62.28 | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 63.19 | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 64.56 | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 65.33 | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 62.21 | -4.8% |
| 2022 | 67.27 | +8.1% |
| 2023 | 68.04 | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 68.85 | +1.2% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 68.85 is above the median for high income countries, which is 39.39, 1.7× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 30.91 | 30.91 | 30.91 | 1 |
| 1980s | 35.29 | 35.29 | 35.29 | 1 |
| 1990s | 41.58 | 36.09 | 47.15 | 10 |
| 2000s | 52.62 | 47.55 | 56.22 | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.65 | 57.32 | 64.56 | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.34 | 62.21 | 68.85 | 5 |
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 share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Canada?
- Share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Canada was 68.85 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with a completed post secondary education recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 68.85 in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of the population with a completed post secondary education recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.91 in 1976.
- How does Canada rank for share of the population with a completed post secondary education?
- Canada ranks 2nd out of 110 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of the population with a completed post secondary education rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada 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.
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