France vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes
France
2.88 million
in 2024
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
3.20 million
in 2023
France rank
17th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
16th
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes over time
- France
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 3.20 million against 2.88 million in France, a difference of 318,400.
That makes United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's figure about 1.1 times France's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 52 shared years of data; in 1971 it was France ahead.
France ranks 17th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 16th of 200 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, France averaged higher in 3 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 962,558 | 689,609 | 272,949 | France |
| 1980s | 1.23 million | 974,374 | 258,445 | France |
| 1990s | 1.94 million | 1.66 million | 286,960 | France |
| 2000s | 2.13 million | 2.26 million | 133,743 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2010s | 2.43 million | 2.44 million | 17,207 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2020s | 2.82 million | 3.01 million | 190,170 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes, France or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 3.20 million against 2.88 million in France as of 2023.
- What is the difference in enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes between France and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 318,400, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 52 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2023.
- How do France and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
- France ranks 17th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 16th of 200 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release