Notice of release
Québec, January 25, 2024. – The Institut de la statistique du Québec released today its first issue of a series on the study Les titulaires d’un grade universitaire au Québec : ce qu’en disent les données du Recensement de 2021. The situation in Québec is compared to that in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and Canada as a whole. These data make it possible to monitor changes in terms of university attainment (percentage of the population with a university degree) since 2006.
In this first issue, we learn that:
- According to the 2021 Census, 29.5% of those aged 25 to 64 in Québec have a university degree. This proportion is lower than in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and Canada as a whole.
- Québec has the highest proportion of people aged 25 to 64 with any postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree (71.2%).
- Québec has the lowest proportion of people aged 25 to 64 with at most a secondary school diploma or equivalency certificate (28.8%), and it is in Québec that this proportion decreased the most between 2006 and 2021.
Gender gap in university attainment
In 2021, among those aged 25 to 64, 33.0% of women and 26.0% of men had a university degree, a difference of 7.0 percentage points. This gap increased by 2.0 points between 2016 and 2021.
Among those aged 25 to 34, a group more recently out of school, the gender gap in university attainment reaches 12.7 percentage points (42.0% for women and 29.3% for men).
Gap between Québec and Ontario and between Québec and British Columbia
From 2006 to 2021, among those aged 25 to 64, the gap in university attainment increased between Québec and Ontario, between Québec and British Columbia, and between Québec and Canada as a whole.
In both 2006 and 2021, the gap between Québec and Ontario and between Québec and British Columbia was greater among those aged 25 to 34 than in any other age group, with Québec trailing behind these two provinces. This situation is mainly linked to immigration. In this age group, Ontario and British Columbia can count on a larger presence of immigrants and a greater proportion of immigrants with a university degree.
When immigrants are excluded, Québec still lags behind Ontario and British Columbia in terms of university attainment among those aged 25 to 34, with slightly larger gaps in 2021 than in 2016.
The Institut de la statistique du Québec produces, analyzes and disseminates official, objective and quality statistical information on various aspects of Québec society. It is responsible for conducting all statistical surveys of general interest. The relevance of its work makes it a strategic ally for decision makers and all those wishing to learn more about Québec.