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Table D.5.10
Literacy levels for numeracy proficiency, by educational attainment, Canada and jurisdictions, population aged 16 and over, 2003

Standard table symbols

  Numeracy proficiency
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4/5
percentage standard error percentage standard error percentage standard error percentage standard error
Canada  
Total education 25.5 (0.5) 29.6 (0.5) 30.1 (0.6) 14.7 (0.6)
High school not completed 53.8 (1.3) 28.6 (1.3) 14.1 (0.8) 3.6E (0.7)
High school 21.9 (1.3) 34.4 (1.0) 32.7 (1.3) 10.9 (0.9)
Trade-vocational1 19.2 (1.7) 37.5 (2.9) 32.9 (2.6) 10.4 (1.1)
Non-university postsecondary 14.1 (1.8) 29.7 (1.4) 38.5 (1.8) 17.7 (1.6)
University 6.3 (0.8) 20.4 (1.6) 39.7 (1.6) 33.6 (1.9)
Newfoundland and Labrador  
Total education 32.0 (1.8) 32.8 (2.0) 25.9 (1.8) 9.2 (1.2)
High school not completed 61.8 (3.5) 27.5 (2.7) 9.6E (2.1) x ...
High school 23.3 (3.0) 38.3 (3.1) 29.6 (2.6) 8.8E (2.1)
Trade-vocational1 21.7E (4.5) 43.1 (5.5) 29.8E (5.1) F ...
Non-university postsecondary 10.2E (3.2) 36.1 (5.8) 40.6 (5.5) F ...
University F ... 21.0 (3.4) 43.7 (5.1) 31.8 (4.6)
Prince Edward Island  
Total education 25.7 (2.4) 33.9 (2.3) 28.1 (2.5) 12.3 (1.7)
High school not completed 51.7 (4.5) 33.1 (3.8) 12.0E (2.6) F ...
High school 16.2E (3.9) 41.6 (4.8) 33.4E (6.8) F ...
Trade-vocational1 28.5E (7.1) 42.2E (7.9) 26.5E (8.1) x ...
Non-university postsecondary F ... 39.3E (6.6) 36.6E (9.5) F ...
University x ... 17.6E (3.9) 43.4 (6.2) 36.7 (5.0)
Nova Scotia  
Total education 26.0 (1.6) 30.5 (2.2) 30.8 (1.7) 12.8 (1.4)
High school not completed 53.2 (3.2) 29.6 (3.5) 13.9E (3.0) F ...
High school 19.0 (2.8) 38.3 (4.3) 33.2 (4.3) 9.4E (1.8)
Trade-vocational1 18.0E (3.4) 35.0E (6.0) 35.6E (6.6) F ...
Non-university postsecondary F ... 31.3E (7.1) 42.6 (6.8) F ...
University F ... 16.7E (3.3) 44.5 (6.5) 34.7E (5.9)
New Brunswick  
Total education 30.0 (1.5) 35.2 (1.9) 25.8 (2.2) 8.9 (1.3)
High school not completed 57.3 (3.9) 31.0 (4.6) 10.7E (2.7) x ...
High school 25.3 (2.8) 39.6 (5.2) 28.1 (4.0) F ...
Trade-vocational1 24.8E (4.8) 40.9 (5.5) 26.2E (6.3) F ...
Non-university postsecondary F ... 37.2E (9.5) 40.3E (7.6) F ...
University F ... 26.8E (5.2) 40.2 (5.0) 28.2E (5.6)
Quebec  
Total education 27.6 (0.9) 31.3 (1.0) 28.6 (1.2) 12.5 (0.7)
High school not completed 61.5 (1.8) 26.7 (2.0) 10.2 (1.3) F ...
High school 21.7 (1.8) 37.7 (2.0) 31.2 (2.3) 9.5 (0.8)
Trade-vocational1 16.6E (3.1) 37.3 (4.6) 35.0 (3.4) 11.1E (2.9)
Non-university postsecondary 15.4E (3.0) 30.7 (1.9) 38.4 (3.0) 15.6 (2.4)
University 4.8E (0.9) 24.5 (2.2) 40.2 (2.6) 30.5 (2.2)
Ontario  
Total education 27.0 (1.0) 28.8 (1.4) 29.3 (1.1) 14.8 (1.2)
High school not completed 54.7 (2.9) 28.0 (3.2) 13.4 (1.8) 3.9E (1.2)
High school 24.9 (2.4) 32.9 (2.6) 31.4 (2.3) 10.7E (2.2)
Trade-vocational1 24.4E (4.1) 36.7E (6.6) 31.1E (5.6) 7.8E (2.6)
Non-university postsecondary 15.7 (2.4) 30.4 (3.1) 36.7 (3.8) 17.2E (3.2)
University 7.6E (1.5) 20.8E (3.5) 38.7 (3.3) 32.8 (4.0)
Manitoba  
Total education 24.6 (1.2) 31.7 (2.3) 31.3 (2.4) 12.4 (1.6)
High school not completed 48.0 (2.9) 32.2 (2.4) 16.2 (2.4) 3.7E (1.2)
High school 19.1 (2.0) 35.6 (4.1) 34.0 (3.5) 11.4E (2.5)
Trade-vocational1 18.8 (3.1) 34.3 (5.3) 36.1E (8.4) F ...
Non-university postsecondary 11.8E (3.2) 29.0E (6.9) 44.1 (7.0) 15.1E (3.4)
University F ... 23.3E (4.3) 41.0 (4.8) 27.8E (4.7)
Saskatchewan  
Total education 19.7 (1.4) 29.2 (3.4) 34.2 (3.6) 16.9 (2.2)
High school not completed 43.1 (4.8) 32.1E (6.3) 20.2E (5.3) F ...
High school 14.4E (3.4) 32.9 (5.0) 36.7 (6.0) 16.0E (2.7)
Trade-vocational1 F ... 36.6E (10.3) 37.7E (10.8) F ...
Non-university postsecondary F ... 22.3E (6.5) 44.0E (8.4) F ...
University F ... 16.8E (5.0) 42.6 (6.7) 37.0E (6.9)
Alberta  
Total education 19.7 (1.6) 29.0 (2.3) 32.7 (2.3) 18.6 (1.6)
High school not completed 42.8 (3.3) 32.9 (3.1) 17.7 (2.8) F ...
High school 16.1E (3.7) 34.5 (5.3) 36.8 (3.5) 12.7E (2.2)
Trade-vocational1 18.6E (5.1) 35.3 (4.6) 33.1E (6.2) 13.0E (4.2)
Non-university postsecondary 12.0E (3.3) 25.9E (5.6) 39.0E (6.6) 23.1E (4.0)
University F ... 17.5E (3.9) 39.7 (5.5) 38.2 (4.9)
British Columbia  
Total education 21.4 (1.1) 27.3 (2.0) 33.4 (2.0) 17.8 (1.3)
High school not completed 45.9 (3.1) 28.5 (3.8) 20.5 (2.7) F ...
High school 19.8 (2.2) 30.7 (2.9) 36.5 (3.0) 13.0E (2.3)
Trade-vocational1 14.3E (3.6) 40.9E (8.6) 31.6E (7.3) 13.2E (4.0)
Non-university postsecondary 10.4E (3.2) 28.2 (4.1) 40.5 (4.2) 20.9 (3.4)
University 7.1E (1.5) 14.9 (2.1) 39.7 (4.2) 38.3 (4.4)
Yukon  
Total education 15.7 (1.4) 27.5 (3.1) 37.7 (3.0) 19.1 (2.0)
High school not completed 38.7 (4.7) 36.5 (5.6) 20.4E (4.7) F ...
High school 12.7E (3.1) 31.4 (4.9) 41.3 (6.7) 14.6E (4.4)
Trade-vocational1 F ... 34.8E (7.5) 46.5E (10.0) F ...
Non-university postsecondary F ... 23.3E (7.7) 42.0E (8.7) 23.5E (7.8)
University F ... F ... 42.9 (5.7) 38.6 (5.2)
Northwest Territories  
Total education 25.0 (2.4) 28.0 (3.5) 31.7 (2.1) 15.3 (1.5)
High school not completed 51.9 (4.5) 27.7E (5.7) 18.0E (3.4) F ...
High school 19.7E (4.7) 30.6E (5.5) 36.5 (4.9) F ...
Trade-vocational1 F ... 42.3E (9.1) 28.5E (7.3) F ...
Non-university postsecondary F ... 33.8E (6.4) 39.9E (7.0) 18.4E (4.3)
University F ... 14.3E (3.1) 43.0E (7.5) 38.7E (6.9)
Nunavut  
Total education 55.7 (2.4) 22.4 (2.6) 15.4 (1.7) 6.5E (1.3)
High school not completed 78.3 (3.8) 16.6E (3.8) F ... x ...
High school 26.3E (5.1) 36.4E (6.4) 31.7E (7.4) F ...
Trade-vocational1 46.2E (12.7) 33.2E (9.8) F ... x ...
Non-university postsecondary 31.4E (9.5) F ... F ... F ...
University x ... 24.5E (8.1) 37.1E (10.4) 33.6E (9.3)
… not applicable
x suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act
E use with caution
F too unreliable to be published
1. Skill courses that prepare trainees for occupations not at the professional or semi-professional levels. A trade-vocational program prepares people for employment in a specific occupation such as a heavy equipment operator, automotive mechanic and upholstering. Many community colleges or technical institutes offer certificates or diplomas at the trade level.
Note: PCEIP 2007 presented an overview of the literacy domains in Table D.5.1 (prose proficiency, document proficiency, numeracy, and problem-solving), then focused on prose proficiency in the remaining tables and charts (Tables D.5.2 through D.5.7; Charts D.5.1 through D.5.5). In these PCEIP June 2008 updates, the D5 series is continued and focuses on numeracy.
Data source: International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey, 2003, Statistics Canada.
Table source: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Statistics Canada. 2005. Building on our Competencies: Canadian Results of the International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey 2003. Catalogue no. 81-617-XIE. Ottawa.
Updated June 16, 2008.