HIGHER LEVEL QUALIFICATIONS IN AUSTRALIA, 2001 to 2011

In Australia, the rate of attainment of higher level qualifications among 20-64 year olds increased from 38.3% to 49.9% between 2001 and 2011 (11.6 percentage points). The rate of attainment increased for all age groups. The largest increase was among those aged 30-39 years (rising from 42.0% to 58.1%), followed by those aged 50-59 years (from 35.0% to 46.4%).

In 2011, the rate of attainment was lowest for those aged 60-64 years (39.1%), followed by 50-59 years (46.4%).

While the rate of attainment among 20-29 year olds is lower than that of 30 to 49 year olds, more people in this age group are likely to be still studying for their first higher level qualification than people 30 years of age and older. In 2011, while just under one half (48.0%) of 20-29 year olds had a higher level qualification, a further 13.2% of 20-29 year olds without a higher level qualification were studying at a university, TAFE or other tertiary institution on Census night, possibly for a higher level qualification.

Age group	2001	2011	Change
	%	%	percentage points
20-29 yrs	37.3	48.0	10.7
30-39 yrs	42.0	58.1	16.1
40-49 yrs	41.0	51.2	10.2
50-59 yrs	35.0	46.4	11.4
60-64 yrs	28.6	39.1	10.5
Total 20-64 yrs	38.3	49.9	11.6
Source: ABS Censuses of Population and Housing, 2001 and 2011

Between 2001 and 2011, the working-age population of Australia between 20 and 64 years increased by 16.0%, from 11.3 million people to 12.9 million people. The working-age population between 20 and 64 years became slightly older over this period, with the median age increasing from 40 to 41 years respectively.

Overseas migration is one of the main drivers of population growth in Australia (Australian Demographic Statistics (cat. no. 3101.0)). People of working-age who arrived from overseas in the last decade had a much higher rate of attainment of higher level qualifications than the rest of Australia (63.7% compared with 48.4%). Despite the large difference between these rates of attainment, the net effect of this recent overseas migration on the national average was not large - raising the rate of attainment for all Australians aged 20-64 years by 1.5 percentage points to 49.9% between 2001 and 2011. However, people who have arrived from overseas in the last decade tend to live in the capital cities, and so will have a bigger influence on the change in the rates of attainment of qualifications in capital city regions.