Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) by country
February 2026 Data Release
Countries reporting
197
Highest
60.67 million
China (People's Republic of)
Lowest
1,607
American Samoa
Median
191,589
Years covered
56
1970–2025
Data points
18,321
What the numbers show
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) is currently reported for 197 countries. The highest value is 60.67 million in China (People's Republic of); the lowest is 1,607 in American Samoa.
The median across all reporting countries is 191,589, and the mean is 1.33 million.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 37,753.
Over the past decade 144 countries rose and 48 fell. The largest increase was in Gambia (up 1,062.4%), and the largest decrease in Aruba (down 65.9%).
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China (People's Republic of) | 60.67 million | 2024 | up 44.7% | volatile |
| 2 | India | 43.90 million | 2025 | up 36.7% | volatile |
| 3 | United States | 18.05 million | 2023 | down 8.4% | falling |
| 4 | Brazil | 10.55 million | 2024 | up 30.7% | volatile |
| 5 | Indonesia | 9.85 million | 2023 | up 53.4% | volatile |
| 6 | Türkiye | 7.00 million | 2023 | up 40.6% | volatile |
| 7 | Mexico | 5.39 million | 2024 | up 57.7% | volatile |
| 8 | Philippines | 5.14 million | 2024 | up 44.3% | volatile |
| 9 | Russia | 4.52 million | 2024 | down 35.3% | rising |
| 10 | Bangladesh | 3.95 million | 2024 | up 90.9% | volatile |
| 11 | Japan | 3.88 million | 2023 | up 0.5% | rising |
| 12 | Egypt | 3.87 million | 2025 | up 51.7% | volatile |
| 13 | Argentina | 3.74 million | 2023 | up 35.0% | volatile |
| 14 | Iran | 3.34 million | 2022 | down 24.1% | volatile |
| 15 | Germany | 3.27 million | 2024 | up 12.4% | rising |
| 16 | United Kingdom | 3.20 million | 2023 | up 34.0% | rising |
| 17 | France | 2.88 million | 2024 | up 20.5% | rising |
| 18 | Korea | 2.73 million | 2024 | down 17.7% | volatile |
| 19 | Pakistan | 2.68 million | 2024 | up 38.9% | volatile |
| 20 | Vietnam | 2.49 million | 2024 | down 7.6% | volatile |
| 21 | Colombia | 2.47 million | 2022 | up 25.9% | volatile |
| 22 | Spain | 2.44 million | 2024 | up 23.3% | rising |
| 23 | Italy | 2.22 million | 2023 | up 18.4% | rising |
| 24 | Thailand | 2.17 million | 2025 | down 3.1% | volatile |
| 25 | Venezuela | 2.12 million | 2009 | up 217.8% | volatile |
| 26 | Saudi Arabia | 2.01 million | 2024 | up 34.3% | volatile |
| 27 | Peru | 1.90 million | 2017 | up 99.3% | volatile |
| 28 | Canada | 1.84 million | 2023 | up 18.1% | rising |
| 29 | Australia | 1.83 million | 2024 | down 3.6% | volatile |
| 30 | Algeria | 1.66 million | 2024 | up 33.2% | volatile |
| 31 | Ukraine | 1.58 million | 2024 | down 26.4% | rising |
| 32 | Uzbekistan | 1.56 million | 2025 | up 496.9% | volatile |
| 33 | Nigeria | 1.51 million | 2011 | up 116.5% | volatile |
| 34 | Morocco | 1.44 million | 2024 | up 82.4% | volatile |
| 35 | Poland | 1.40 million | 2024 | down 20.7% | volatile |
| 36 | Chile | 1.37 million | 2024 | up 13.9% | volatile |
| 37 | Malaysia | 1.17 million | 2024 | up 3.5% | volatile |
| 38 | Ecuador | 1.09 million | 2023 | up 86.5% | volatile |
| 39 | Netherlands | 985,327 | 2023 | up 24.1% | rising |
| 40 | Myanmar | 932,199 | 2018 | up 83.6% | volatile |
| 41 | Greece | 872,882 | 2023 | up 32.4% | volatile |
| 42 | Kazakhstan | 768,980 | 2025 | up 16.8% | rising |
| 43 | Syria | 697,415 | 2016 | up 63.9% | volatile |
| 44 | Ghana | 693,463 | 2024 | up 72.4% | volatile |
| 45 | Sudan | 653,088 | 2015 | up 79.4% | rising |
| 46 | Nepal | 633,053 | 2024 | up 51.2% | volatile |
| 47 | Kenya | 611,146 | 2024 | up 45.1% | volatile |
| 48 | Ethiopia | 587,015 | 2014 | up 241.1% | volatile |
| 49 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 564,421 | 2020 | up 49.4% | volatile |
| 50 | Belgium | 550,999 | 2023 | up 12.8% | rising |
| 51 | Romania | 538,720 | 2023 | down 12.9% | volatile |
| 52 | Dominican Republic | 532,998 | 2024 | up 16.9% | volatile |
| 53 | Guatemala | 504,766 | 2023 | up 61.0% | volatile |
| 54 | Sweden | 494,296 | 2024 | up 15.1% | rising |
| 55 | Cameroon | 447,513 | 2024 | up 28.0% | volatile |
| 56 | Austria | 442,235 | 2024 | up 5.0% | volatile |
| 57 | Afghanistan | 430,980 | 2020 | up 352.8% | volatile |
| 58 | Portugal | 428,206 | 2023 | up 26.9% | volatile |
| 59 | Iraq | 424,908 | 2005 | up 56.5% | volatile |
| 60 | Jordan | 420,598 | 2024 | up 34.5% | volatile |
| 61 | Israel | 411,478 | 2024 | up 9.2% | volatile |
| 62 | Libya | 375,028 | 2003 | up 414.4% | volatile |
| 63 | United Arab Emirates | 367,651 | 2024 | up 33.5% | volatile |
| 64 | Sri Lanka | 358,218 | 2023 | up 20.3% | volatile |
| 65 | Cote d'Ivoire | 346,786 | 2024 | up 96.5% | volatile |
| 66 | Angola | 343,108 | 2024 | up 56.9% | volatile |
| 67 | Finland | 338,808 | 2024 | up 10.7% | rising |
| 68 | Czechia | 338,556 | 2023 | down 20.8% | volatile |
| 69 | Switzerland | 337,303 | 2024 | up 16.4% | volatile |
| 70 | Cambodia | 316,105 | 2024 | up 45.4% | volatile |
| 71 | Norway | 315,674 | 2024 | up 19.5% | rising |
| 72 | Hungary | 310,414 | 2024 | down 5.8% | volatile |
| 73 | Belarus | 306,459 | 2024 | down 40.8% | rising |
| 74 | Tunisia | 305,918 | 2023 | down 9.3% | volatile |
| 75 | Tajikistan | 304,005 | 2024 | up 45.3% | rising |
| 76 | Kyrgyzstan | 297,355 | 2025 | up 12.0% | rising |
| 77 | Hong Kong | 291,578 | 2024 | down 4.4% | volatile |
| 78 | Denmark | 290,902 | 2024 | down 3.5% | rising |
| 79 | Azerbaijan | 288,593 | 2024 | up 47.7% | rising |
| 80 | Senegal | 279,917 | 2024 | up 98.3% | volatile |
| 81 | Cuba | 272,516 | 2024 | down 9.7% | volatile |
| 82 | Yemen | 267,498 | 2011 | up 38.3% | rising |
| 83 | Lebanon | 265,390 | 2023 | up 15.2% | rising |
| 84 | Tanzania | 252,098 | 2024 | up 59.3% | volatile |
| 85 | New Zealand | 251,357 | 2024 | down 3.6% | volatile |
| 86 | Serbia | 249,768 | 2024 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 87 | Honduras | 247,706 | 2024 | up 33.3% | volatile |
| 88 | Ireland | 247,231 | 2022 | up 28.3% | volatile |
| 89 | Burkina Faso | 225,902 | 2024 | up 177.8% | volatile |
| 90 | Paraguay | 225,211 | 2010 | up 171.1% | volatile |
| 91 | Palestine | 223,977 | 2023 | up 5.0% | rising |
| 92 | Costa Rica | 221,811 | 2019 | up 13.8% | volatile |
| 93 | Mozambique | 213,930 | 2018 | up 183.5% | volatile |
| 94 | Uruguay | 202,346 | 2023 | up 28.3% | rising |
| 95 | El Salvador | 195,949 | 2024 | up 11.1% | rising |
| 96 | Bulgaria | 195,697 | 2024 | down 30.9% | rising |
| 97 | Singapore | 194,409 | 2023 | down 23.9% | volatile |
| 98 | Panama | 191,589 | 2023 | up 36.6% | volatile |
| 99 | Nicaragua | 190,957 | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 100 | Georgia | 190,822 | 2025 | up 49.5% | flat |
| 101 | Madagascar | 189,752 | 2023 | up 95.5% | volatile |
| 102 | Uganda | 165,396 | 2014 | up 87.2% | volatile |
| 103 | Puerto Rico | 159,149 | 2023 | down 35.2% | rising |
| 104 | Croatia | 158,754 | 2023 | down 3.6% | rising |
| 105 | Mongolia | 150,282 | 2024 | down 10.7% | volatile |
| 106 | Slovak Republic | 141,119 | 2024 | down 28.7% | rising |
| 107 | Oman | 131,805 | 2024 | up 11.4% | volatile |
| 108 | Rwanda | 130,474 | 2024 | up 68.3% | volatile |
| 109 | Benin | 128,673 | 2022 | up 4.4% | volatile |
| 110 | Zimbabwe | 127,910 | 2024 | up 35.9% | volatile |
| 111 | Kuwait | 121,840 | 2021 | up 15.1% | volatile |
| 112 | Albania | 120,063 | 2024 | down 31.8% | volatile |
| 113 | Guinea | 117,943 | 2014 | up 585.0% | volatile |
| 114 | Togo | 114,956 | 2020 | up 105.4% | volatile |
| 115 | Turkmenistan | 102,357 | 2024 | up 130.5% | rising |
| 116 | Lithuania | 100,744 | 2024 | down 32.1% | rising |
| 117 | Armenia | 96,565 | 2024 | down 14.6% | rising |
| 118 | Malawi | 94,991 | 2024 | up 610.6% | volatile |
| 119 | Burundi | 83,195 | 2025 | up 62.4% | volatile |
| 120 | Mali | 83,150 | 2015 | up 267.4% | volatile |
| 121 | Niger | 80,415 | 2019 | up 402.8% | volatile |
| 122 | Slovenia | 79,987 | 2023 | down 18.1% | rising |
| 123 | Moldova | 79,541 | 2024 | down 31.6% | falling |
| 124 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 76,962 | 2023 | down 31.7% | rising |
| 125 | Jamaica | 74,537 | 2015 | up 56.6% | volatile |
| 126 | Latvia | 74,017 | 2024 | down 17.5% | rising |
| 127 | Chad | 68,081 | 2020 | up 207.6% | volatile |
| 128 | Namibia | 67,906 | 2022 | up 64.6% | volatile |
| 129 | Cyprus | 58,808 | 2024 | up 74.6% | volatile |
| 130 | North Macedonia | 58,334 | 2023 | down 3.9% | rising |
| 131 | Zambia | 56,680 | 2012 | up 144.8% | volatile |
| 132 | Fiji | 56,412 | 2024 | down 1.5% | volatile |
| 133 | Macao | 55,611 | 2024 | up 88.4% | volatile |
| 134 | Congo | 55,025 | 2023 | up 48.6% | volatile |
| 135 | Bahrain | 54,310 | 2024 | up 42.5% | volatile |
| 136 | Botswana | 53,188 | 2024 | down 3.5% | volatile |
| 137 | Qatar | 49,699 | 2024 | up 96.8% | volatile |
| 138 | Laos | 46,242 | 2024 | down 64.4% | volatile |
| 139 | Estonia | 44,377 | 2024 | down 26.0% | rising |
| 140 | Liberia | 43,883 | 2012 | down 16.0% | volatile |
| 141 | Mauritius | 43,632 | 2024 | up 7.8% | volatile |
| 142 | Gambia | 27,304 | 2024 | up 1,062.4% | volatile |
| 143 | Mauritania | 24,444 | 2020 | up 68.2% | volatile |
| 144 | Trinidad and Tobago | 22,384 | 2024 | — | volatile |
| 145 | Lesotho | 21,586 | 2018 | up 154.0% | volatile |
| 146 | Montenegro | 21,177 | 2023 | down 15.2% | rising |
| 147 | Malta | 21,120 | 2023 | up 68.0% | volatile |
| 148 | Iceland | 20,287 | 2023 | up 6.2% | volatile |
| 149 | Guyana | 18,454 | 2024 | up 108.4% | volatile |
| 150 | Maldives | 16,632 | 2022 | up 173.1% | volatile |
| 151 | Somalia | 15,672 | 1987 | up 668.2% | volatile |
| 152 | Brunei | 13,210 | 2023 | up 50.2% | volatile |
| 153 | Comoros | 12,149 | 2017 | up 367.6% | volatile |
| 154 | Cape Verde | 11,659 | 2018 | up 75.1% | volatile |
| 155 | Bhutan | 11,290 | 2024 | up 32.2% | volatile |
| 156 | Eritrea | 10,231 | 2016 | up 121.8% | volatile |
| 157 | Gabon | 10,076 | 2003 | up 146.7% | volatile |
| 158 | Papua New Guinea | 9,943 | 1999 | up 55.4% | rising |
| 159 | Belize | 9,819 | 2024 | up 13.7% | volatile |
| 160 | Grenada | 9,260 | 2018 | up 38.4% | volatile |
| 161 | Barbados | 9,227 | 2025 | down 10.7% | rising |
| 162 | Sierra Leone | 9,041 | 2002 | up 90.7% | volatile |
| 163 | Luxembourg | 8,364 | 2024 | up 21.3% | volatile |
| 164 | Eswatini | 8,057 | 2013 | up 55.2% | volatile |
| 165 | Guam | 7,300 | 1989 | up 62.2% | rising |
| 166 | Haiti | 6,288 | 1986 | up 118.3% | rising |
| 167 | Djibouti | 4,705 | 2011 | up 848.6% | volatile |
| 168 | Bahamas | 3,960 | 1995 | down 0.1% | falling |
| 169 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 3,546 | 2015 | up 312.8% | volatile |
| 170 | Tonga | 3,477 | 2024 | — | volatile |
| 171 | Andorra | 3,015 | 2024 | up 505.4% | volatile |
| 172 | Samoa | 2,891 | 2024 | up 22.2% | volatile |
| 173 | United States Virgin Islands | 2,488 | 2007 | down 14.9% | rising |
| 174 | Sao Tome and Principe | 2,336 | 2015 | up 231.8% | rising |
| 175 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 2,035 | 2023 | up 6.8% | rising |
| 176 | Saint Lucia | 1,992 | 2023 | down 14.2% | volatile |
| 177 | Micronesia (country) | 1,539 | 2000 | — | rising |
| 178 | Marshall Islands | 1,449 | 2024 | up 4.2% | rising |
| 179 | Suriname | 1,417 | 2024 | down 49.1% | falling |
| 180 | Monaco | 1,304 | 2024 | up 57.9% | rising |
| 181 | Seychelles | 1,203 | 2024 | up 150.1% | rising |
| 182 | San Marino | 1,033 | 2024 | up 18.5% | flat |
| 183 | Liechtenstein | 971 | 2021 | down 1.3% | rising |
| 184 | Vanuatu | 955 | 2004 | up 48.5% | rising |
| 185 | Cayman Islands | 912 | 2008 | up 188.6% | rising |
| 186 | Aruba | 867 | 2024 | down 65.9% | rising |
| 187 | Palau | 768 | 2024 | down 11.0% | rising |
| 188 | New Caledonia | 761 | 1985 | up 327.5% | volatile |
| 189 | British Virgin Islands | 713 | 2024 | down 13.8% | falling |
| 190 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 647 | 2023 | up 126.2% | volatile |
| 191 | Bermuda | 583 | 2023 | down 51.7% | rising |
| 192 | Dominica | 484 | 1993 | up 734.5% | volatile |
| 193 | French Polynesia | 301 | 1992 | up 713.5% | volatile |
| 194 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 179 | 2023 | up 2.3% | flat |
| 203 | South Africa | 1.19 million | 2023 | up 15.2% | rising |
| 222 | Central African Republic | 12,522 | 2012 | up 98.0% | volatile |
| 224 | American Samoa | 1,607 | 2007 | — | rising |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- MDG: World 268.57 million
- SDG: World 268.57 million
- UIS: World 268.57 million
- WB: World 268.57 million
- UNICEF: World 268.06 million
- UNICEF: All Unicef Countries 220.95 million
- WB: Ida & Ibrd Total 215.63 million
- WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025) 210.74 million
- MDG: Developing Regions 210.26 million
- WB: Middle Income (july 2025) 203.95 million
- WB: Ibrd Only 192.21 million
- ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400) 167.63 million
About this data
February 2026 Data Release