In 2025, 71% of Canadian women aged 25 to 64 held a college or university credential, up from 61% a decade earlier. Men’s attainment rose too-from 49% to 57%-but still lags significantly.
Overall, 64% of Canadians in that age group now hold post-secondary credentials, well above the OECD average of 41%. Much of the gap stems from Canada’s robust college system: 25% of adults hold college diplomas-more than triple the OECD norm.
Ana Ferrer, University of Waterloo professor and labor economist, says rising AI adoption and economic uncertainty are driving women to prioritize education as insurance against job loss.
“Women realize that the more education you have, the stronger your position is,” she said.
Projections show over 80% of new job openings will require post-secondary education, particularly in management, health, and business roles-fields where women already dominate. Of 59 female-majority occupations, 35 are expected to see above-average hiring demand.
Ferrer notes technology may further erode traditional gender divides in work: “It’s less and less the case that there are occupations for women and occupations for men.”
Meanwhile, educational gains coincide with shifting life patterns: over half of Canadian women aged 20-49 are not mothers, reflecting broader trends in delayed childbearing linked to career and education choices.