Iran, Islamic Republic of vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes

Iran, Islamic Republic of
3.34 million
in 2022
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
3.20 million
in 2023
Iran, Islamic Republic of rank
14th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
16th

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes over time

  • Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M5.0M197119972023

How they compare

Iran, Islamic Republic of currently reports 3.34 million against 3.20 million in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a difference of 144,610.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 34 shared years of data; in 1971 it was United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.

Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 14th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 16th of 200 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Iran, Islamic Republic of averaged higher in 2 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Iran, Islamic Republic of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Difference Ahead
1970s 125,970 677,893 551,923 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1990s 1.09 million 1.91 million 816,458 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2000s 2.23 million 2.26 million 29,290 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2010s 4.16 million 2.44 million 1.71 million Iran, Islamic Republic of
2020s 3.20 million 2.95 million 246,400 Iran, Islamic Republic of

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes, Iran, Islamic Republic of or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Iran, Islamic Republic of, at 3.34 million against 3.20 million in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of 2022.
What is the difference in enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes between Iran, Islamic Republic of and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
144,610, with Iran, Islamic Republic of ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iran, Islamic Republic of and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
34 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2022.
How do Iran, Islamic Republic of and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 14th 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.

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Iran, Islamic Republic of vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-all-programmes-both-sexes-number-2/iran-islamic-rep/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
421 places, 18,321 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release