Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population in Australia

Australia: Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population was 79.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
79.9%
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
38th
of 142 countries
All-time high
81.7%
in 2022
All-time low
21.5%
in 1971
Years of data
25
1971–2024

Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population in Australia, 1971–2024

204060801971199720241971: 21.5 cumulative2001: 59.3 cumulative2002: 60.5 cumulative2003: 61.2 cumulative2004: 64.1 cumulative2005: 65 cumulative2006: 66.7 cumulative2007: 68.2 cumulative2008: 70.1 cumulative2009: 70.9 cumulative2010: 72.8 cumulative2011: 74.1 cumulative2012: 76.5 cumulative2013: 72 cumulative2014: 73.6 cumulative2015: 75.5 cumulative2016: 76.4 cumulative2017: 77.3 cumulative2018: 78.3 cumulative2019: 79 cumulative2020: 80.1 cumulative2021: 81.1 cumulative2022: 81.7 cumulative2023: 79 cumulative2024: 79.9 cumulative

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in cumulative.

Analysis

Australia recorded 79.9% for educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population in 2024.

The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 8.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population in Australia peaked at 81.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 21.5%, in 1971.

Australia ranks 38th of 142 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 21.5% 21.5% 21.5% 1
2000s 65.1% 59.3% 70.9% 9
2010s 75.6% 72.0% 79.0% 10
2020s 80.3% 79.0% 81.7% 5

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 35 United Kingdom 80.5% compare
  2. 36 Bulgaria 80.2% compare
  3. 37 Iceland 80.2% compare
  4. 39 Singapore 79.0% compare
  5. 40 Cyprus 78.3% compare
  6. 41 Denmark 78.1% compare

See the full ranking of 142 places →

More education data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population in Australia?
Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population in Australia was 79.9% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 81.7% in 2022.
What is the lowest educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 21.5% in 1971.
How does Australia rank for educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population?
Australia ranks 38th out of 142 countries with data for 2024.
Is educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)
Unit
cumulative
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
142 places, 2,311 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed upper secondary education.