Canada Education Statistics 2026: Data, Charts & Rankings
Canada’s 2026 education profile uses the latest available source years rather than 2026 estimates. The dataset combines OECD 2024 attainment rankings, PISA 2022 achievement scores, OECD and World Bank/UIS 2022 spending indicators, UNDP 2023 schooling years, and Statistics Canada 2023/2024 enrolment counts.
Executive Snapshot
Headline values are source-year values. Rank labels refer only to the source coverage shown for each indicator.
Canada vs OECD Average in PISA 2022
Mean scores for 15-year-old students in mathematics, reading, and science.
Canada scored above the OECD average in all three PISA 2022 domains; the largest gap shown here is reading at 31 score points.
Chart analysis
- Science is Canada’s highest PISA 2022 score at 515 points.
- Reading shows the widest Canada-OECD gap in this chart: 507 versus 476.
- Mathematics is 25 points above the OECD average, using PISA 2022 scale scores.
- Scores are assessment-year values, not annual education statistics.
Canada Education Indicator Matrix
Sortable country-profile table covering attainment, achievement, spending, schooling years, enrolment, and instruction time.
| Rank | Indicator | Canada value | Comparison or ranking | Year | Source | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tertiary attainment, ages 25–64 | 64.7% | Rank 1/40 | 2024 | OECD Education GPS | OECD and partner systems with available data. |
| 2 | Tertiary attainment, ages 25–34 | 68.9% | Rank 2/40 | 2024 | OECD Education GPS | Young-adult attainment measure. |
| 3 | Short-cycle tertiary attainment, ages 25–34 | 23.3% | Rank 1/28 | 2024 | OECD Education GPS | Short-cycle tertiary category only. |
| 4 | Below upper secondary attainment, ages 25–64 | 6.4% | Rank 36/39 | 2024 | OECD Education GPS | Low reported share among OECD and partner systems. |
| 5 | PISA mathematics score | 497 points | 25 points above OECD average | 2022 | OECD PISA / CMEC | Canada was outperformed by eight countries or economies in mathematics. |
| 6 | PISA reading score | 507 points | 31 points above OECD average | 2022 | OECD PISA / CMEC | Only five participating countries had higher reading scores than Canada. |
| 7 | PISA science score | 515 points | 30 points above OECD average | 2022 | OECD PISA / CMEC | Six participating countries had higher science scores than Canada. |
| 8 | PISA mathematics Level 2 or above | 78% | OECD average: 69% | 2022 | CMEC PISA report | Baseline mathematics proficiency threshold. |
| 9 | PISA reading Level 2 or above | 82% | OECD average: 74% | 2022 | CMEC PISA report | Baseline reading proficiency threshold. |
| 10 | PISA science Level 2 or above | 85% | OECD average: 76% | 2022 | CMEC PISA report | Baseline science proficiency threshold. |
| 11 | Government expenditure per student, primary to post-secondary non-tertiary | USD 14,381 | Equivalent USD PPP | 2022 | OECD Education at a Glance 2025 | Full-time equivalent student basis. |
| 12 | Government expenditure per tertiary student | USD 13,684 | OECD average: USD 15,102 | 2022 | OECD Education at a Glance 2025 | Tertiary measure includes R&D. |
| 13 | Education investment, primary to tertiary | 5.5% of GDP | OECD average: 4.7% | 2022 | OECD Education at a Glance 2025 | Institutional education investment measure. |
| 14 | Government expenditure on education | 4.8% of GDP | World Bank / UIS series | 2022 | World Bank WDI | General government expenditure on education as a share of GDP. |
| 15 | Compulsory instruction time, primary | 921 hours | OECD average: 804 hours | 2025 | OECD Education at a Glance 2025 | Annual compulsory instruction time. |
| 16 | Compulsory instruction time, lower secondary | 924 hours | OECD average: 909 hours | 2025 | OECD Education at a Glance 2025 | Annual compulsory instruction time. |
| 17 | Expected years of schooling | 15.9 years | HDI component | 2023 | UNDP HDR 2025 | Years a child can expect under current enrolment patterns. |
| 18 | Mean years of schooling | 13.9 years | HDI component | 2023 | UNDP HDR 2025 | Adults aged 25 and older. |
| 19 | Human Development Index | 0.939 | HDI rank 16 | 2023 | UNDP HDR 2025 | HDI is not an education-only metric. |
| 20 | Public elementary and secondary enrolment | 5.5 million students | National public schools | 2023/2024 | Statistics Canada | Public schools only. |
| 21 | Public college and university enrolment | 2.3 million students | Public postsecondary institutions | 2023/2024 | Statistics Canada | Public colleges and universities. |
Table analysis
- Tertiary attainment is Canada’s strongest OECD ranking in this matrix: 64.7% for ages 25–64, rank 1/40.
- Canada’s 25–34 tertiary attainment rate is 68.9%, rank 2/40 in OECD Education GPS coverage.
- PISA 2022 scores place Canada above the OECD average in mathematics, reading, and science.
- The two GDP spending indicators are not identical: OECD reports primary-to-tertiary investment at 5.5% of GDP, while the World Bank/UIS government expenditure series reports 4.8% of GDP.
- Statistics Canada enrolment counts are academic-year counts, not OECD ranking values.
- UNDP schooling years are HDI component values and should not be read as school quality scores.
Spending Trend Since 2000
World Bank/UIS annual government expenditure on education as a share of GDP, shown at selected anchor years.
Government Education Expenditure as % of GDP
Selected World Bank/UIS observations for Canada.
The selected series moves from 5.4% of GDP in 2000 to 4.8% in 2022, a change of -0.6 percentage points.
Trend analysis
- The latest World Bank/UIS value shown is 4.8% of GDP in 2022.
- The selected 2000 and 2010 anchor points both report 5.4% of GDP.
- The 2015 to 2022 movement is small in this selected view: 4.7% to 4.8%.
- The chart uses selected anchor years and does not show every annual observation.
| Trend indicator | Start value | Start year | Latest value | Latest year | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government expenditure on education, % of GDP | 5.4% | 2000 | 4.8% | 2022 | -0.6 percentage points | World Bank WDI / UIS |
| Government expenditure on education, % of GDP | 4.7% | 2015 | 4.8% | 2022 | +0.1 percentage points | World Bank WDI / UIS |
| Government expenditure per student, primary to tertiary | USD 14,689 | 2015 | USD 15,436 | 2022 | +USD 747 | OECD Education at a Glance 2025 |
| Education share of public budgets | 11.6% | 2015 | 10.4% | 2022 | -1.2 percentage points | OECD Education at a Glance 2025 |
Table analysis
- The World Bank/UIS GDP-share series shows a lower latest value than the OECD primary-to-tertiary investment measure because the indicators use different definitions.
- OECD reports that per-student expenditure rose from USD 14,689 in 2015 to USD 15,436 in 2022.
- The education share of public budgets declined from 11.6% to 10.4% between 2015 and 2022.
OECD Attainment Ranking Signals
Selected 2024 OECD Education GPS indicators where Canada has reported ranking information.
Selected Attainment Rates
Canada values, 2024, in percent.
The chart mixes attainment categories, so rankings should be read indicator by indicator rather than as a single scale.
| Attainment indicator | Canada value | Rank | Coverage | Year | Interpretation scope |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tertiary attainment, ages 25–64 | 64.7% | 1 | 40 systems | 2024 | OECD and partner systems with available data. |
| Tertiary attainment, ages 25–34 | 68.9% | 2 | 40 systems | 2024 | Young-adult attainment comparison. |
| Short-cycle tertiary attainment, ages 25–34 | 23.3% | 1 | 28 systems | 2024 | Short-cycle tertiary category. |
| Bachelor’s or equivalent tertiary, ages 25–34 | 31.3% | 8 | 37 systems | 2024 | Bachelor’s or equivalent degree category. |
| Below upper secondary attainment, ages 25–64 | 6.4% | 36 | 39 systems | 2024 | Low share of adults below upper secondary education. |
Data analysis
- Canada ranks 1/40 for tertiary attainment among adults aged 25–64 in the OECD Education GPS extract.
- The 25–34 tertiary attainment rate is higher than the 25–64 rate: 68.9% versus 64.7%.
- Short-cycle tertiary attainment is a separate category and should not be added to bachelor’s attainment without source-level definitions.
- The below-upper-secondary row uses a low-share indicator; rank 36/39 reflects Canada’s low reported share, not weak performance.
PISA Ranking Evidence
Canada’s PISA 2022 results are reported for participating countries and economies only.
| PISA domain | Canada score | OECD average | Canada gap | Higher-scoring systems | Level 2 or above | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 497 | 472 | +25 | 8 | 78% | 2022 |
| Reading | 507 | 476 | +31 | 5 | 82% | 2022 |
| Science | 515 | 485 | +30 | 6 | 85% | 2022 |
Assessment analysis
- Canada’s largest subject gap over the OECD average is reading, at +31 score points.
- Science has the highest Canada score in the three-domain table: 515.
- The “higher-scoring systems” column is not a full rank table; it reports how many participating systems exceeded Canada in the CMEC report.
- PISA scores describe tested 15-year-old students in 2022 and do not measure every part of the education system.
Reading the Canada Profile
The main interpretation limits are source year, metric definition, and population coverage.
Attainment Strength
OECD 2024 attainment data place Canada near the top of reported tertiary attainment measures, especially for adults aged 25–64 and short-cycle tertiary education among ages 25–34.
Achievement Position
PISA 2022 shows Canada above the OECD average in mathematics, reading, and science. These are assessment scores for 15-year-old students, not annual curriculum results.
Spending Definition
OECD and World Bank spending values differ because the OECD indicator is institution-focused across primary to tertiary education, while the World Bank/UIS series reports general government education expenditure as a share of GDP.
Scale and Enrolment
Statistics Canada reports 5.5 million students in public elementary and secondary schools in 2023/2024 and 2.3 million enrolments in public colleges and universities in 2023/2024.
Source and Methodology
Values are reported as published by the named sources and rounded to the displayed precision. OECD ranks are limited to OECD and partner systems with available data for the named indicator. PISA rankings are limited to participating countries and economies in the 2022 assessment. The World Bank/UIS trend uses selected anchor years from the annual series and is not a forecast.
Canada’s education ranking depends on the selected indicator. Tertiary attainment, PISA scores, spending shares, enrolment counts, and schooling years measure different parts of the system and should not be merged into a single education score. No 2026 values are estimated here.