Average years of schooling in Canada
Canada: Average years of schooling was 13.83 years in 2020. ▲ Rising
Average years of schooling in Canada, 1870–2020
Source: Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2020, average years of schooling in Canada stood at 13.83 years. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is up 5.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average years of schooling in Canada peaked at 13.83 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 5.71 years, in 1870.
That places Canada 3rd out of 162 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Average years of schooling in Canada, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 5.71 years | — |
| 1880 | 6.2 years | +8.6% |
| 1890 | 6.68 years | +7.7% |
| 1900 | 7.1 years | +6.3% |
| 1913 | 7.63 years | +7.5% |
| 1925 | 8.3 years | +8.8% |
| 1929 | 8.48 years | +2.1% |
| 1933 | 8.76 years | +3.3% |
| 1938 | 8.83 years | +0.8% |
| 1950 | 9.15 years | +3.6% |
| 1955 | 9.3 years | +1.6% |
| 1960 | 9.54 years | +2.6% |
| 1965 | 9.62 years | +0.8% |
| 1970 | 9.9 years | +2.9% |
| 1975 | 10.62 years | +7.2% |
| 1980 | 11.21 years | +5.6% |
| 1985 | 11.36 years | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 12.2 years | +7.4% |
| 1995 | 12.6 years | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 12.84 years | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 13.4 years | +4.4% |
| 2010 | 13.08 years | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 13.11 years | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 13.83 years | +5.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 5.71 years | 5.71 years | 5.71 years | 1 |
| 1880s | 6.2 years | 6.2 years | 6.2 years | 1 |
| 1890s | 6.68 years | 6.68 years | 6.68 years | 1 |
| 1900s | 7.1 years | 7.1 years | 7.1 years | 1 |
| 1910s | 7.63 years | 7.63 years | 7.63 years | 1 |
| 1920s | 8.39 years | 8.3 years | 8.48 years | 2 |
| 1930s | 8.79 years | 8.76 years | 8.83 years | 2 |
| 1950s | 9.22 years | 9.15 years | 9.3 years | 2 |
| 1960s | 9.58 years | 9.54 years | 9.62 years | 2 |
| 1970s | 10.26 years | 9.9 years | 10.62 years | 2 |
| 1980s | 11.29 years | 11.21 years | 11.36 years | 2 |
| 1990s | 12.4 years | 12.2 years | 12.6 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 13.12 years | 12.84 years | 13.4 years | 2 |
| 2010s | 13.09 years | 13.08 years | 13.11 years | 2 |
| 2020s | 13.83 years | 13.83 years | 13.83 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 1 Germany 14.09 years compare
- 2 Switzerland 13.86 years compare
- 4 Iceland 13.77 years compare
- 5 United States 13.68 years compare
- 6 Estonia 13.55 years compare
More education data for Canada
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.43 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0607 units per person (2023)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.43 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.83 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.0607 units per person (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.18 million (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average years of schooling in Canada?
- Average years of schooling in Canada was 13.83 years in 2020, according to Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average years of schooling recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 13.83 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest average years of schooling recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.71 years in 1870.
- How does Canada rank for average years of schooling?
- Canada ranks 3rd out of 162 countries with data for 2020.
- Is average years of schooling rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average years of schooling. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average number of years of total schooling (primary, secondary, and tertiary) for the population aged 15 and over.