Canada
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Canada
Overview of the education system (EAG 2025)
  • Unemployment among 25-34 year-olds declines with higher education: 14.7% without upper secondary, 8.1% with upper secondary, and 6% with tertiary attainment, mirroring OECD patterns.
  • Master’s attainment reached 14% in 2024 among young adults, below the OECD average of 16% but up from 11% in 2019.
  • Wage gaps are narrower than OECD averages: 15% between those with and without upper secondary, and 39% between upper secondary and tertiary, showing a more compressed distribution.
  • Education expenditure per student rose from USD 14,689 to USD 15,436 between 2015 and 2022, while the share of public budgets for education fell from 11.6% to 10.4%.
  • Spending levels vary by education stage: USD 14,381 per student from primary to post-secondary non-tertiary (mid-range internationally), and USD 13,684 at tertiary level, compared to the OECD average of USD 15,102.
  • In Canada, education investment equals 5.5% of GDP, above the OECD average of 4.7%.
    • | Education at a Glance 2025 | Country note | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2025 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 | OECD Education Policy Outlook: Canada | Council of Ministers of Education, Canada | Statistics Canada (English) | Statistics Canada (French) | Education in Canada's Provinces and Territories |

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    The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries. The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD and partner countries. Find out more about the methodology here.

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    Attainment

    The level of below upper secondary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.6 %, rank 36/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The level of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (26.6 %, rank 35/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The level of below upper secondary attainment among 25-64 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.4 %, rank 36/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The level of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary attainment among 25-64 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (28.9 %, rank 33/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The level of tertiary attainment among 25-64 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (64.7 %, rank 1/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The level of tertiary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (68.9 %, rank 2/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The level of tertiary attainment among 55-64 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (55.1 %, rank 1/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-64 year-olds who have attained a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary qualification is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (9.5 %, rank 31/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-64 year-olds who have attained a general upper secondary or post-secondary qualification is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19.4 %, rank 9/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the percentage of 25-64 year-olds who attained a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest among countries with available data. (25.6 %, rank 8/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The level of below upper secondary attainment among 55-64 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (10.3 %, rank 33/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-34 year-olds who have attained a vocational degree at the upper secondary or post-secondary level is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.2 %, rank 32/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The level of short-cycle tertiary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (23.3 %, rank 1/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of 25-34 year-olds who attained a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest among countries with available data. (31.3 %, rank 8/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Attainment by gender

    The proportion of 25-64 year-old men who have attained a general degree at the tertiary level is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (57.9 %, rank 1/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-64 year-old women who have attained a general degree at the tertiary level is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (71.5 %, rank 1/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-64 year-old women who have attained a vocational degree at the upper secondary or post-secondary level is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5.8 %, rank 32/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-34 year-old men who have attained tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (60.8 %, rank 3/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-34 year-old women who have attained tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (77.4 %, rank 2/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of 25-64 year-old men who attained a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the largest among countries with available data. (23.2 %, rank 9/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old women who attained a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the largest among countries with available data. (28.1 %, rank 10/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old men who attained below upper secondary education in Canada is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5.5 %, rank 36/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old women who attained below upper secondary education in Canada is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.6 %, rank 36/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old men who attained below upper secondary education in Canada is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.6 %, rank 35/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old women who attained below upper secondary education in Canada is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5.3 %, rank 37/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old women who attained upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Canada is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old women who attained upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Canada is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (23.2 %, rank 35/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Canada has one of the smallest share of women among 25-34 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education. (28 %, rank 34/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Canada has one of the smallest share of women among 55-64 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education. (32.9 %, rank 34/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the proportion of 25-34 year-old women who have attained a short cycle tertiary degree is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data (25.6 %, rank 1/26 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the proportion of 25-34 year-old men who have attained a short cycle tertiary degree is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data (21.2 %, rank 1/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Canada is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (37.6 %, rank 34/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Canada is one of the highest among countries with available data. (62.4 %, rank 4/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Canada is one of the highest among countries with available data. (72 %, rank 2/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Entrance

    The share of female students entering bachelor's programmes in Canada is relatively large. (57.1 %, rank 9/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of first-time entrants in bachelor's programmes is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (53.2 %, rank 31/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Entrance by field of education and gender

    The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (58.1 %, rank 8/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (24.5 %, rank 28/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of health and welfare is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (81.9 %, rank 7/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of male among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of health and welfare is relatively small. (31.1 %, rank 30/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of men among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (40.6 %, rank 34/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of men among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of health and welfare is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (15.4 %, rank 34/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of men among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (55.3 %, rank 38/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering short-cycle tertiary programmes in health and welfare in Canada is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (16 %, rank 23/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    The enrolment rate among 15-19 year-olds in Canada is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (71.8 %, rank 37/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The proportion of upper secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.5 %, rank 43/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students in public tertiary educational institutions is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/45 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Enrolment of students aged 15–19 in lower secondary programmes placed Canada among the lowest internationally. (0 %, rank 45/46 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female students in upper secondary general programmes placed Canada among the smallest across countries. (48.8 %, rank 44/47 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of students enrolled in programmes providing full completion and access to tertiary education among all students enrolled in upper secondary vocational programmes is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at pre-primary level is comparatively low. (7.8 %, rank 37/45 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average age of upper secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes in Canada is relatively high compared to the other countries. (25.1 %, rank 8/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of below-two year-olds in other registered ECEC services in Canada is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (18.3 %, rank 3/12 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in upper secondary general programmes in Canada is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (52.3 %, rank 4/47 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in short-cycle tertiary programmes in Canada is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.9 %, rank 6/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of four-year-olds in primary education in Canada is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 7/46 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Graduation

    The average age of graduates from general programmes at the upper secondary level in Canada is comparatively low. (17.6 Years, rank 31/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average age of graduates from vocational programmes at the upper secondary level in Canada is comparatively high. (33.1 Years, rank 2/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of first-time graduates in vocational programmes at upper secondary level is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5.4 %, rank 36/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5.4 %, rank 41/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.3 %, rank 3/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of information and communication technologies is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.5 %, rank 8/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of arts and humaties in Canada is relatively small. (8.1 %, rank 35/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics in Canada is relatively large. (27.2 %, rank 7/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of health and welfare in Canada is relatively small. (10.9 %, rank 35/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of short-cycle tertiary vocational graduates in the field of arts and humanities is relatively high compared to other OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (1 %, rank 8/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of short-cycle tertiary vocational graduates in the field of business, administration and law is relatively high compared to other OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (3 %, rank 8/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of short-cycle tertiary vocational graduates in the field of STEM is relatively high compared to other OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (3 %, rank 10/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of short-cycle tertiary vocational graduates in the field of health and welfare is relatively high compared to other OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (2 %, rank 7/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of arts and humanities is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1 %, rank 6/45 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of STEM is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3 %, rank 2/44 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education and gender

    The proportion of female tertiary graduates in education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (7.3 %, rank 41/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of male tertiary graduates in the field of education is relatively low in Canada. (2.8 %, rank 35/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of male tertiary graduates in the field of business, administration and law is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (28.7 %, rank 10/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of male tertiary graduates in the field of health and welfare is relatively low in Canada. (6 %, rank 36/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (25 %, rank 35/43 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of health and welfare is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (84.2 %, rank 5/43 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Completion rates

    Female completion rates to bachelor's programmes, measured by the end of the theoretical duration plus one year, were among the highest across participating countries. (72.7 %, rank 6/32 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Male completion rates to bachelor's programmes by the end of the theoretical duration plus one year were among the highest in Canada compared to other countries. (63 %, rank 6/32 , 2021) Download Indicator

    By the end of the theoretical duration plus one year, completion rates of all new entrants to bachelor's programmes placed Canada among the highest across countries with available data. (68.6 %, rank 5/32 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Female completion rates to bachelor's programmes, measured three years beyond the theoretical duration, were among the highest across countries with available data. (83.2 %, rank 5/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Male completion rates to bachelor's programmes three years after the theoretical duration placed Canada among the highest values internationally. (76.2 %, rank 4/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The completion rate of all new entrants to bachelor's programmes, measured three years beyond the theoretical end of the programme, ranked Canada among the highest across countries. (80.2 %, rank 4/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the completion rate of female new entrants to bachelor's programmes in Education, measured three years after the theoretical end of the programme, was among the highest internationally. (82.9 %, rank 9/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Dropout rates

    Female drop out rates by the end of the theoretical duration plus three years placed Canada among the lowest across countries. (13.5 %, rank 24/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Male drop out rates to bachelor's programmes, measured three years beyond the theoretical duration, were among the lowest internationally. (19.7 %, rank 26/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The overall drop out rate of new entrants by the end of the theoretical duration plus three years was among the lowest across countries with available data. (16.1 %, rank 24/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Fields of education

    In Canada, the percentage of new entrants to tertiary education in the field of education is relatively low. (3.5 %, rank 36/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, new entrants to doctoral programmes in STEM were among the largest across countries. (47.5 %, rank 10/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of new entrants to tertiary education in STEM fields ranked among the largest across countries with available data. (32.4 %, rank 5/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of business, administration and law is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (6.2 %, rank 28/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of health and welfare is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (10.3 %, rank 30/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is relatively high, compared to other countries with available data. (17.8 %, rank 5/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    Canada has one of the largest proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in tertiary education among OECD and partner countries with available data. (21.2 %, rank 4/45 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of worldwide foreign and international students is one of the large among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7 %, rank 6/46 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of international and foreign students enrolled in doctoral or equivalent programmes is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (38.3 %, rank 8/43 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, international or foreign students from Asia are most represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (71.9 %, rank 6/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The proportion of international students among the new entrants in master's programmes in Canada is relatively high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (33.9 %, rank 7/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in bachelor's programmes is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (14.9 %, rank 6/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in master's programmes is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (22.9 %, rank 10/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in short-cycle tertiary programmes is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (33.4 %, rank 2/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    (2 %, rank 3/46 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Student mobility by field of education

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of education among all international or foreign tertiary students in Canada is relatively low. (0.8 %, rank 35/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of arts and humanities among all international or foreign tertiary students in Canada is relatively low. (6.4 %, rank 31/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of business, administration and law among all international or foreign tertiary students in Canada is relatively high. (31.4 %, rank 5/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics among all international or foreign tertiary students in Canada is relatively high. (11.7 %, rank 9/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of health and welfare among all international or foreign tertiary students in Canada is relatively low. (5.6 %, rank 33/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of students enrolled in the field of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary among all international or foreign tertiary students is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (0.8 %, rank 29/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student

    Annual expenditure per tertiary student is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (27582 USD Equivalent, rank 6/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Annual expenditure per student from primary to tertiary level is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (18733 USD Equivalent, rank 9/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student for ancillary services on tertiary education in Canada is comparatively high. (1151 USD Equivalent, rank 7/28 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the annual expenditure on educational institutions per full-time equivalent student in primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education, is relatively high. (15778 USD Equivalent, rank 10/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the total annual expenditure per full-time equivalent student on tertiary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (22728 USD Equivalent, rank 8/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Expenditure in education and national wealth

    In Canada, expenditure on primary through tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is one of the highest among OECD countries and partner economies. (5.5 %, rank 9/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Canada, expenditure on primary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively high. (2.2 %, rank 3/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Canada, expenditure on tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively high. (2 %, rank 3/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Canada, private expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary to tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively high. (1.3 %, rank 4/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Government and private expenditure in education

    The share of private expenditure on tertiary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (50.1 %, rank 8/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Canada has one of the largest shares of private expenditure on primary through tertiary educational institutions among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (24 %, rank 7/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Canada, total public expenditure on primary educational institutions as a percentage of total public expenditure is comparatively high. (4.9 %, rank 4/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of public expenditure on educational institutions, for tertiary education is comparatively small in Canada. (49.6 %, rank 35/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of public expenditure on educational institutions, for primary to tertiary education is comparatively small. (75.8 %, rank 34/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The share of women among teaching staff in primary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (75.3 %, rank 35/43 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in upper secondary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (75.3 %, rank 4/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of primary to upper secondary teachers aged between 30 and 49 is especially high. (60.6 %, rank 8/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of female teachers younger than 30 in tertiary education is relatively large. (57.2 %, rank 6/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Females aged 50 or more represent a small proportion of teachers in primary education in Canada. (70.6 %, rank 36/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of bachelor's, master's and doctoral level teachers aged between 30 and 49 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (44.3 %, rank 32/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of tertiary teachers aged between 30 and 49 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (45.4 %, rank 29/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of tertiary teachers older than 50 is relatively high, compared to other countries with data available. (49.4 %, rank 5/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries

    After 15 years of experience, a lower secondary teacher with minimum qualification can expect to have one of the highest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (76076 USD Equivalent, rank 6/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a lower secondary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the highest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (87285 USD Equivalent, rank 4/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, an upper secondary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the highest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (87285 USD Equivalent, rank 6/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a primary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the highest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (86432 USD Equivalent, rank 4/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries progression

    Salaries of lower secondary teachers with minimum training after 10 years of experience are especially high. (72996 USD Equivalent, rank 7/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    It takes lower secondary teachers less time to progress through the salary scale in Canada compared to other OECD and partner countries. (10 Years, rank 32/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Ratio of student to teaching staff

    In Canada, the number of students per teacher in public bachelor's, master's, doctoral or equivalent programmes is one of the highest among countries with available data. (22.1 Ratio, rank 4/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Organisation of the education system

    The total compulsory instruction time for primary students in Canada is one of the longest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5527 Hours, rank 9/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The total compulsory instruction time for primary and lower secondary student in Canada is among the longest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8301 Hours, rank 9/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, compulsory instruction time for primary students, in hours per year, is one of the longest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (921 Hours, rank 10/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Employment and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (86.2 %, rank 33/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 55-64 year-olds with tertiary education is compartively low in Canada. (68.2 %, rank 33/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (88.3 %, rank 9/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the employment rate of 25-34 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is relatively low in Canada. (86.9 %, rank 27/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Employment by gender and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively low. (83.3 %, rank 32/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old men with tertiary education is comparatively low. (86.8 %, rank 36/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old women with tertiary education is comparatively low. (80.5 %, rank 32/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old men with below upper secondary education is compartively low in Canada. (62.7 %, rank 31/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the employment rate among 25-34 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively high (81.8 %, rank 8/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of employed 25-64 year-old women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (64 %, rank 28/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of employed 25-64 year-old men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (77.8 %, rank 32/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Unemployment and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively high. (4.7 %, rank 9/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest of all OECD countries and partner economies for which data are available. (4.7 %, rank 6/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among the unemployed population aged between 25 and 64, with below upper secondary education, the share of those who have been unemployed for less than 3 months is one of the largest in Canada, compared to other OECD countries. (58.1 %, rank 4/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among the unemployed population aged between 25 and 64 with below upper secondary education, the share of those who have been unemployed for at least 12 months is one of the smallest in Canada, compared to other OECD countries. (8.1 %, rank 31/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among the unemployed population aged between 25 and 64 with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education, the share of those who have been unemployed for at least 12 months is one of the smallest in Canada, compared to other OECD countries. (12.1 %, rank 33/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among the unemployed population aged between 25 and 64 with tertiary education, the share of those who have been unemployed for less than 3 months is one of the largest in Canada, compared to other OECD countries. (52.8 %, rank 5/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among the unemployed population aged between 25 and 64 with tertiary education, the share of those who have been unemployed for at least 12 months is one of the smallest in Canada, compared to OECD countries. (10.1 %, rank 33/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the unemployment rate of 25-34 year-old with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is relatively high in Canada. (6.2 %, rank 6/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Unemployment by gender and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old men with tertiary education is compartively high in Canada. (6.2 %, rank 10/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of unemployed 25-64 year-old men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.9 %, rank 10/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of unemployed 25-64 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (5.1 %, rank 8/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the unemployment rate of 25-34 year-old men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high in Canada. (9.9 %, rank 9/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Inactivity and educational attainment

    In Canada, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (7 %, rank 30/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest among countries with available data. (9.5 %, rank 7/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education is one of the highest among countries with available data. (12.6 %, rank 7/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Inactivity by gender and educational attainment

    In Canada, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old men without an upper secondary education is relatively high compared to other countries with available data. (27.2 %, rank 8/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high. (31.7 %, rank 8/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high. (16.4 %, rank 6/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high. (29 %, rank 10/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high. (10.7 %, rank 9/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with tertiary education is relatively high. (15.6 %, rank 9/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men with tertiary education is relatively high. (8.9 %, rank 5/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Neither in education nor employed

    The share of youth who have been unemployed for at least one year and not in formal education or training among 18-24 year-olds in Canada is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (0.4 %, rank 24/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of men without an upper secondary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Canada is relatively high (37.3 %, rank 8/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Canada is relatively high (26.5 %, rank 8/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Canada is relatively high (22.9 %, rank 2/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Canada is relatively high (24.2 %, rank 4/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Canada is relatively low (10 %, rank 26/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Canada is relatively low. (10.6 %, rank 23/30 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Canada is relatively high. (19.3 %, rank 4/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of men with tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Canada is relatively high. (9.6 %, rank 9/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women who are inactive NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Canada is relatively low. (7 %, rank 28/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women who are inactive NEET (18-24 year-olds) in Canada is relatively low. (5.9 %, rank 29/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Canada, the share of women neither employed nor in education among 15-29 year-olds is relatively low. (5.2 %, rank 26/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among 25-29 year-old men in Canada, a large share of them are neither employed nor in education or training. (14.6 %, rank 10/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 18-24 year-old women neither employed nor in education or training is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (10.2 %, rank 29/37 , 2024) Download Indicator


    The data table will display up to six selected countries.
    General findings
    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Tertiary attainment among young adults has reached 48% on average across the OECD, the highest level ever, but progress has slowed since 2021. Attainment remains unequal, with women generally outpacing men, and older generations showing lower rates.
    • Employment outcomes for tertiary-educated adults remain strong overall: 87% of them are employed compared to 60% of those without upper seconday. Tertiary education offers good protection against unemployment, but women and disadvantaged groups still face labour market gaps, and inactivity persists among some adults. Moreover, adults with tertiary education earn on average 54% more than those with only upper secondary education.
    • Gender pay gaps remain significant. Despite higher attainment, women with tertiary education consistently earn less than men, even when working full-time, and this gap persists across age groups (73% on average for women aged 25 to 64).
    • Fields of study strongly influence labour market outcomes. Graduates in engineering and in health and welfare fare particularly well, while women’s participation in STEM remains below parity (14% of graduates at tertiary level) despite being 58% of all tertiary graduates.
    • Internationalisation continues to expand in tertiary education. The share of international students has grown steadily, and OECD countries host a large proportion of the world’s mobile students, reinforcing their global role in higher education.
    • Sustaining tertiary education requires adequate investment. Spending per student is already at 21 021 USD and rising, and tertiary expenditure represents a notable share of GDP (1.4% on average in OECD), making efficiency and equity crucial for long-term sustainability.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Access and Participation  | Education policies: Finance and Funding | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
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    • Although many countries have near universal upper secondary attainment among 25–34 year-olds, on average across the OECD 13% of younger adults still lack an upper secondary qualification.
    • NEET shares are now below pre-pandemic levels in about half of OECD and partner countries with trend data; in 8 of these 16 countries the decline exceeds 1 percentage point, while 17 countries exceed pre-pandemic benchmarks and 6 saw increases of more than 2 percentage points.
    • Employment rates rise steadily with higher tertiary attainment: short-cycle 83%, bachelor’s 86%, master’s 90%, and doctoral or equivalent 93% among 25–64 year-olds.
    • Earnings premiums also increase with qualification level: on average across the OECD, short-cycle graduates earn 17% more than those with upper secondary; the advantage is 39% for bachelor’s and 83% for master’s/doctoral graduates.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
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    • Most children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education, with an average participation rate of 85% across the OECD. By contrast, only 29% of children under the age of 3 are enrolled.
    • Participation in early childhood education has grown over the past decade, with enrolment for children under age 3 increasing by 9 percentage points to 29%, and enrolment for ages 3 and above rising by 5 points to 85%.
    • The majority of students in vocational upper secondary education follow programmes that grant full access to tertiary education, with 76% of students enrolled in such programmes on average across the OECD.
    • Completion rates for bachelor’s programmes increase after the theoretical duration of programmes: on average, 44% of students graduate on time, compared to 69% three years after.
    • Students from Asia form the largest regional group of internationally mobile students in tertiary education, representing 58% of all foreign or international students across the OECD in 2023.
    • Only 43% of students complete a bachelor’s degree within the expected duration, though this rises to 59% with one additional year and 70% with three additional years on average across the OECD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Access and Participation  | 
    
                            
    
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    • Governments spend on average USD 12 438 per student in primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education, and USD 15 102 per student in tertiary education including R&D.
    • Expenditure per student has risen in absolute terms since 2015, but its share in public budgets has declined, with government spending on education at almost 15% of total government expenditure on average in 2022.
    • Annual spending per student at primary and secondary levels varies widely across OECD countries, from under USD 3 000 in some systems to over USD 25 000 in the most highly funded ones.
    • Tertiary education continues to expand, placing pressure on public budgets. Private sources represent a larger share of total funding at the tertiary level than at any other level of education.
    • Spending per student differs markedly between public and private institutions, with expenditure in public tertiary institutions exceeding USD 33 000 in some countries, compared to less than USD 10 000 in others.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Finance and Funding | 
    
                            
    
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    • Students in OECD countries receive an average of 7 604 hours of compulsory instruction during primary and lower secondary education, with total hours ranging widely across education systems.
    • Compulsory instruction time averages 804 hours per year for primary students and 909 hours for lower secondary students, a difference of about 105 hours annually.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in pre-primary education has fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2013 to 13 in 2023.
    • Teachers’ statutory salaries increase with the level of education taught. On average, teachers with 15 years of experience earn USD 55 725 at pre-primary level and USD 63 925 at upper secondary level.
    • Teachers’ actual salaries are 83–91% of the earnings of similarly educated tertiary-educated workers, while school heads usually earn more than tertiary-educated workers on average across OECD countries.
    • The ratio of students to academic staff is lower in public than in private institutions, averaging about 14 students per staff member in public tertiary institutions compared to 18 in private ones.
    • Nearly half of OECD and partner countries operate non-selective admission systems for first degrees, providing broad access to tertiary education, while entrance exams and centralised systems are also common.
    • The salaries of academic staff in tertiary education vary by seniority. On average, junior staff earn about 62 000 USD, while senior staff earn about 108 000 USD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Teachers | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)  | 
    
                            
    
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            Diagram of funding flows - Canada
            
    
            
    
        
    


        
		
    
            
    
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            Country Reviews for Canada
            
    
            
    
			
    
        
    
		
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
    
            Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple
            most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities, 
			such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important
            areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website
            for each publication.
    
            All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
            

    
			Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some 
			countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026.
			

    
	    *TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. 
		This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages.
		Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and 
		Annex 3 
		of EAG 2024 for more details about the data collections.
            

    
            For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.