Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Italy

Italy: Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes was 4.61 million in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
4.61 million
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
26th
of 219 countries
All-time high
5.36 million
in 1987
All-time low
3.82 million
in 1971
Years of data
53
1971–2023

Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Italy, 1971–2023

02.0M4.0M6.0M197119972023

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2023, enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Italy stood at 4.61 million.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and up 0.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Italy peaked at 5.36 million in 1987 and was at its lowest, 3.82 million, in 1971.

That places Italy 26th out of 219 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 53 years of available data.

Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Italy, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number) in Italy, 1971 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1971 3.82 million
1972 4.02 million +5.1%
1973 4.24 million +5.5%
1974 4.44 million +4.7%
1975 4.58 million +3.2%
1976 4.88 million +6.4%
1977 5.07 million +3.9%
1978 5.21 million +2.8%
1979 5.27 million +1.2%
1980 5.30 million +0.5%
1981 5.31 million +0.2%
1982 5.30 million -0.1%
1983 5.32 million +0.4%
1984 5.32 million +0.1%
1985 5.34 million +0.3%
1986 5.36 million +0.4%
1987 5.36 million +0.0%
1988 5.34 million -0.5%
1989 5.28 million -1.0%
1990 5.25 million -0.7%
1991 5.12 million -2.4%
1992 5.01 million -2.1%
1993 4.89 million -2.4%
1994 4.94 million +0.9%
1995 4.83 million -2.3%
1996 4.71 million -2.4%
1997 4.60 million -2.3%
1998 4.49 million -2.4%
1999 4.45 million -0.9%
2000 4.40 million -1.0%
2001 4.47 million +1.6%
2002 4.52 million +0.9%
2003 4.53 million +0.3%
2004 4.51 million -0.5%
2005 4.51 million +0.0%
2006 4.53 million +0.5%
2007 4.55 million +0.5%
2008 4.58 million +0.5%
2009 4.58 million +0.0%
2010 4.63 million +1.1%
2011 4.63 million +0.1%
2012 4.57 million -1.2%
2013 4.59 million +0.5%
2014 4.60 million +0.1%
2015 4.61 million +0.2%
2016 4.59 million -0.4%
2017 4.60 million +0.3%
2018 4.63 million +0.6%
2019 4.64 million +0.2%
2020 4.64 million -0.1%
2021 4.65 million +0.3%
2022 4.64 million -0.2%
2023 4.61 million -0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4.61 million 3.82 million 5.27 million 9
1980s 5.32 million 5.28 million 5.36 million 10
1990s 4.83 million 4.45 million 5.25 million 10
2000s 4.52 million 4.40 million 4.58 million 10
2010s 4.61 million 4.57 million 4.64 million 10
2020s 4.63 million 4.61 million 4.65 million 4

Countries ranked near Italy

  1. 23 South Africa 5.50 million compare
  2. 24 Ethiopia 5.03 million compare
  3. 25 Colombia 4.85 million compare
  4. 27 Argentina 4.56 million compare
  5. 28 Uzbekistan 4.36 million compare
  6. 29 Thailand 4.26 million compare

See the full ranking of 440 places →

More education data for Italy

All data for Italy →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Italy?
Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Italy was 4.61 million in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in secondary education, both sexes recorded in Italy?
The highest recorded value was 5.36 million in 1987.
What is the lowest enrolment in secondary education, both sexes recorded in Italy?
The lowest recorded value was 3.82 million in 1971.
How does Italy rank for enrolment in secondary education, both sexes?
Italy ranks 26th out of 219 countries with data for 2023.
Is enrolment in secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in Italy?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Italy data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Italy. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-secondary-education-both-sexes-number/italy/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
440 places, 19,778 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release