Canada: Educational attainment, at least Master's or equivalent, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Canada's educational attainment, at least Master's or equivalent, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) rose 0.29 percentage points on 2022 (from 10.94% to 11.22%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +0.22 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.75 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 2.49 percentage points in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.77 percentage points in 2021. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.32 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 58% 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 2023, Canada had the 23rd highest value of the 30 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 Canada in the 2023 ranking

• Germany — 19th of 30: 12.7%
• Malta — 20th of 30: 11.55%
• Albania — 21st of 30: 11.38%
• Romania — 23rd of 30: 9.83%
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 24th of 30: 4.25%
• Bangladesh — 25th of 30: 3.61%

What this measures

The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed Master's or equivalent.

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 does not necessarily reveal the quality of the education (learning achievement and other impacts).

All 34 values

Educational attainment, at least Master's or equivalent, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) in nearby economies

• United States — 15% (2024)

More education data for Canada

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 2.43 million (2023)
• Secondary education, pupils — 2.7 million (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.99 (2020)
• Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) — 4.84% (2022)
• School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1 (2020)
• School enrollment, secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Canada's educational attainment, at least Master's or equivalent, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)?

11.22% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1990?

It is up 7.19 percentage points from 4.03% in 1990. The highest value was 11.22% in 2023 and the lowest 4.03% in 1990.

How does Canada rank?

23rd highest of 30 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in educational attainment, at least Master's or equivalent, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) unusual for Canada?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.TER.CUAT.MS.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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