Australia's educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) was 79.91% in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 6.32 percentage points from 73.6% in 2014.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 79.91% | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | 79.05% | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | 73.6% | 2014 |
| Highest | 81.67% | 2022 |
| Lowest | 21.5% | 1971 |
| Average since 2015 | 78.83% | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | 21.5% | 1971 |
What the numbers say
In 2024, Australia's educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) rose 0.95 percentage points on 2023 (from 78.96% to 79.91%).
Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2023), the average change was +0.89 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.59 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.93 percentage points in 2004 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.45 percentage points in 2013. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.54 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 67% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2024, Australia had the 9th highest value of the 37 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
Closest to Australia in the 2024 ranking
- Mongolia — 6th of 37: 84.04%
- Puerto Rico (US) — 7th of 37: 81.78%
- Korea, Rep. — 8th of 37: 81.47%
- Serbia — 10th of 37: 77.12%
- Saudi Arabia — 11th of 37: 76.01%
- Moldova — 12th of 37: 75.29%
What this measures
The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed upper secondary education.
Limitations: Caution is required when using this indicator for cross-country comparison, since the countries do not always classify degrees and qualifications at the same International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) levels, even if they are received at roughly the same age or after a similar number of years of schooling. Also, certain educational programmes and study courses cannot be easily classified according to ISCED. This indicator only measures educational attainment in terms of level of education attained, i.e. years of schooling, and do not necessarily reveal the quality of the education (learning achievement and other impacts).
All 25 values
| Year | Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 79.91 |
| 2023 | 78.96 |
| 2022 | 81.67 |
| 2021 | 81.13 |
| 2020 | 80.05 |
| 2019 | 79.05 |
| 2018 | 78.33 |
| 2017 | 77.26 |
| 2016 | 76.42 |
| 2015 | 75.55 |
Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) in nearby economies
- Brunei Darussalam — 67.87% (2023)
- Cambodia — 10.45% (2023)
- Hong Kong SAR, China — 66.34% (2024)
- Indonesia — 39.1% (2023)
- Korea, Rep. — 81.47% (2024)
- Mongolia — 84.04% (2024)
- Singapore — 79.04% (2022)
More education data for Australia
- Primary school starting age (years) — 5 (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
- Primary education, pupils — 2.27 million (2024)
- School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1 (2020)
- Secondary education, general pupils — 1.68 million (2017)
- Secondary education, general pupils (% female) — 49.5% (2017)
- Primary education, pupils (% female) — 48.67% (2017)
- School enrollment, primary (% net)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Australia's educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)?
- 79.91% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1971?
- It is up 58.41 percentage points from 21.5% in 1971. The highest value was 81.67% in 2022 and the lowest 21.5% in 1971.
- How does Australia rank?
- 9th highest of 37 economies with data for 2024.
- Is the latest change in educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) unusual for Australia?
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.SEC.CUAT.UP.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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