Iran, Islamic Republic of vs Saudi Arabia: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes

Iran, Islamic Republic of
429,305
in 2022
Saudi Arabia
370,514
in 2024
Iran, Islamic Republic of rank
16th
Saudi Arabia rank
19th

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes over time

  • Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Saudi Arabia
0250.0k500.0k750.0k1.0M199820112024

How they compare

Iran, Islamic Republic of currently reports 429,305 against 370,514 in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 58,791.

That makes Iran, Islamic Republic of's figure about 1.2 times Saudi Arabia's.

Across all 24 years both countries report, Iran, Islamic Republic of has been ahead every year.

Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 16th and Saudi Arabia ranks 19th of 149 countries.

Iran, Islamic Republic of has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Iran, Islamic Republic of Saudi Arabia Difference Ahead
1990s 233,060 38,252 194,808 Iran, Islamic Republic of
2000s 544,537 84,965 459,571 Iran, Islamic Republic of
2010s 889,256 165,503 723,753 Iran, Islamic Republic of
2020s 418,780 238,944 179,837 Iran, Islamic Republic of

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes, Iran, Islamic Republic of or Saudi Arabia?
Iran, Islamic Republic of, at 429,305 against 370,514 in Saudi Arabia as of 2022.
What is the difference in enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes between Iran, Islamic Republic of and Saudi Arabia?
58,791, with Iran, Islamic Republic of ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iran, Islamic Republic of and Saudi Arabia?
24 years are reported by both, from 1999 to 2022.
How do Iran, Islamic Republic of and Saudi Arabia rank globally for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes?
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 16th and Saudi Arabia ranks 19th of 149 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 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 Saudi Arabia: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-isced-5-programmes-both-sexes-number-2/iran-islamic-rep/saudi-arabia/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
367 places, 7,760 data points, 1997–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release