UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in Australia

Australia: UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of was 14.7% in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
14.7%
Change on year
down 4.0%
World rank
44th
of 90 countries
All-time high
48.3%
in 1971
All-time low
14.7%
in 2018
Years of data
16
1971–2018

UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in Australia, 1971–2018

10203040501971199420181971: 48.32004: 25.62005: 25.82006: 24.42007: 23.52008: 22.22009: 21.42010: 20.42011: 19.52012: 182013: 192014: 20.22015: 16.62016: 15.92017: 15.32018: 14.7

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in Australia is 14.7%, measured in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.

That represents a change of down 4.0% on the previous year and down 33.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in Australia peaked at 48.3% in 1971 and was at its lowest, 14.7%, in 2018.

Australia ranks 44th of 90 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.

UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in Australia, year by year

Annual values for UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of education is lower secondary, both sexes in Australia, 1971 to 2018.
Year Value Change
1971 48.3%
2004 25.6% -47.0%
2005 25.8% +0.8%
2006 24.4% -5.4%
2007 23.5% -3.7%
2008 22.2% -5.5%
2009 21.4% -3.9%
2010 20.4% -4.6%
2011 19.5% -4.2%
2012 18.0% -8.1%
2013 19.0% +6.0%
2014 20.2% +6.2%
2015 16.6% -17.8%
2016 15.9% -4.2%
2017 15.3% -3.8%
2018 14.7% -4.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 48.3% 48.3% 48.3% 1
2000s 23.8% 21.4% 25.8% 6
2010s 17.8% 14.7% 20.4% 9

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 41 Slovenia 15.2% compare
  2. 42 Bahrain 15.0% compare
  3. 43 Costa Rica 14.9% compare
  4. 45 Sweden 14.6% compare
  5. 46 Ireland 14.4% compare
  6. 47 Argentina 14.2% compare

See the full ranking of 90 places →

More reference data data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in Australia?
Uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in Australia was 14.7% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 48.3% in 1971.
What is the lowest uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 14.7% in 2018.
How does Australia rank for uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of?
Australia ranks 44th out of 90 countries with data for 2018.
Is uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is down 33.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of education is lower secondary, both sexes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/uis-percentage-of-population-age-25-whose-highest-level-of-education-is-lower-secondary/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of education is lower secondary, both sexes
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
90 places, 991 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

The percentage of population (age 25 and over) with completed lower secondary education (ISCED 2) as the highest level of educational attainment. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of persons aged 25 years and above who completed lower secondary education as the highest level of educational attainment by the total population of the same age group and multiplying the result by 100. The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) educational attainment dataset shows the educational composition of the population aged 25 years and above and hence the stock and quality of human capital within a country. The dataset also reflects the structure and performance of the education system and its accumulated impact on human capital formation. For more information, visit the UNESCO Institute for Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/