Statizoid

Labor force with basic education in Canada

Canada: Labor force with basic education was 40.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
40.6%
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
85th
of 123 countries
All-time high
58.9%
in 1990
All-time low
40.6%
in 2025
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Labor force with basic education in Canada, 1990–2025

02040601990200720251990: 58.9 % of total working-age population with basic education1991: 57.1 % of total working-age population with basic education1992: 55.1 % of total working-age population with basic education1993: 53.7 % of total working-age population with basic education1994: 53.8 % of total working-age population with basic education1995: 52.5 % of total working-age population with basic education1996: 51.4 % of total working-age population with basic education1997: 51.3 % of total working-age population with basic education1998: 50.7 % of total working-age population with basic education1999: 51.5 % of total working-age population with basic education2000: 51.7 % of total working-age population with basic education2001: 51.1 % of total working-age population with basic education2002: 52.1 % of total working-age population with basic education2003: 52.8 % of total working-age population with basic education2004: 51.8 % of total working-age population with basic education2005: 50.8 % of total working-age population with basic education2006: 51.6 % of total working-age population with basic education2007: 51.5 % of total working-age population with basic education2008: 52 % of total working-age population with basic education2009: 49.5 % of total working-age population with basic education2010: 48.4 % of total working-age population with basic education2011: 48 % of total working-age population with basic education2012: 47.2 % of total working-age population with basic education2013: 46.9 % of total working-age population with basic education2014: 46 % of total working-age population with basic education2015: 45.4 % of total working-age population with basic education2016: 44.8 % of total working-age population with basic education2017: 45 % of total working-age population with basic education2018: 44.4 % of total working-age population with basic education2019: 44.5 % of total working-age population with basic education2020: 42.1 % of total working-age population with basic education2021: 42.7 % of total working-age population with basic education2022: 42.8 % of total working-age population with basic education2023: 42.9 % of total working-age population with basic education2024: 41.1 % of total working-age population with basic education2025: 40.6 % of total working-age population with basic education

Source: Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of total working-age population with basic education.

Analysis

Canada recorded 40.6% for labor force with basic education in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 10.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force with basic education in Canada peaked at 58.9% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 40.6%, in 2025.

That places Canada 85th out of 123 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 53.6% 50.7% 58.9% 10
2000s 51.5% 49.5% 52.8% 10
2010s 46.1% 44.4% 48.4% 10
2020s 42.0% 40.6% 42.9% 6

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 82 Australia 41.3% compare
  2. 83 Chile 41.1% compare
  3. 84 Mauritius 40.7% compare
  4. 86 Estonia 40.1% compare
  5. 87 Austria 39.9% compare
  6. 88 Morocco 39.6% compare

See the full ranking of 143 places →

More work & labour data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force with basic education in Canada?
Labor force with basic education in Canada was 40.6% in 2025, according to Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest labor force with basic education recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 58.9% in 1990.
What is the lowest labor force with basic education recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 40.6% in 2025.
How does Canada rank for labor force with basic education?
Canada ranks 85th out of 123 countries with data for 2025.
Is labor force with basic education rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is down 10.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Canada data come from?
The figures come from Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force with basic education (% of total working-age population with basic education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force with basic education (% of total working-age population with basic education)
Unit
% of total working-age population with basic education
Source
Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
143 places, 2,669 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

The ratio of the labor force with basic education to the working-age population with basic education. Basic education comprises primary education or lower secondary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).