Share of the population with completed tertiary education in Australia
Australia: Share of the population with completed tertiary education was 30.2 in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2020)
30.2
World rank
25th
of 111 countries
All-time high
37.9
in 2010
All-time low
0
in 1870
Years of data
31
1870–2020
Share of the population with completed tertiary education in Australia, 1870–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Australia recorded 30.2 for share of the population with completed tertiary education in 2020.
The figure is down 20.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with completed tertiary education in Australia peaked at 37.9 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1870.
That places Australia 25th out of 111 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of the population with completed tertiary education in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 0 | — |
| 1875 | 0 | — |
| 1880 | 0 | — |
| 1885 | 0.1 | — |
| 1890 | 0.1 | +0.0% |
| 1895 | 0.1 | +0.0% |
| 1900 | 0.2 | +100.0% |
| 1905 | 0.3 | +50.0% |
| 1910 | 0.5 | +66.7% |
| 1915 | 1.9 | +280.0% |
| 1920 | 3.2 | +68.4% |
| 1925 | 4.3 | +34.4% |
| 1930 | 5.7 | +32.6% |
| 1935 | 7.1 | +24.6% |
| 1940 | 8.4 | +18.3% |
| 1945 | 9.6 | +14.3% |
| 1950 | 11 | +14.6% |
| 1955 | 11.9 | +8.2% |
| 1960 | 12.9 | +8.4% |
| 1965 | 13.8 | +7.0% |
| 1970 | 23.2 | +68.1% |
| 1975 | 20.6 | -11.2% |
| 1980 | 22.5 | +9.2% |
| 1985 | 25.7 | +14.2% |
| 1990 | 27.8 | +8.2% |
| 1995 | 29.1 | +4.7% |
| 2000 | 26.9 | -7.6% |
| 2005 | 32.6 | +21.2% |
| 2010 | 37.9 | +16.3% |
| 2015 | 33.7 | -11.1% |
| 2020 | 30.2 | -10.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.05 | 0 | 0.1 | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 2 |
| 1900s | 0.25 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 2 |
| 1910s | 1.2 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 2 |
| 1920s | 3.75 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 2 |
| 1930s | 6.4 | 5.7 | 7.1 | 2 |
| 1940s | 9 | 8.4 | 9.6 | 2 |
| 1950s | 11.45 | 11 | 11.9 | 2 |
| 1960s | 13.35 | 12.9 | 13.8 | 2 |
| 1970s | 21.9 | 20.6 | 23.2 | 2 |
| 1980s | 24.1 | 22.5 | 25.7 | 2 |
| 1990s | 28.45 | 27.8 | 29.1 | 2 |
| 2000s | 29.75 | 26.9 | 32.6 | 2 |
| 2010s | 35.8 | 33.7 | 37.9 | 2 |
| 2020s | 30.2 | 30.2 | 30.2 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More education data for Australia
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 105,469 (1999)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 2 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 64.2% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 17.7% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 5 years (2025)
- Primary secondary enrollment completion rates, gaps filled 99.61 (2024)
- School enrollment, primary 99.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population with completed tertiary education in Australia?
- Share of the population with completed tertiary education in Australia was 30.2 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with completed tertiary education recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 37.9 in 2010.
- What is the lowest share of the population with completed tertiary education recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1870.
- How does Australia rank for share of the population with completed tertiary education?
- Australia ranks 25th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of the population with completed tertiary education rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.3%. 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 Share of the population with completed tertiary education. 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).