Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200)
ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200): Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) was 64.18 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200), 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200) recorded 64.18 million for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and up 7.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200) peaked at 64.18 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 26.21 million, in 1971.
That places ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200) 33rd out of 221 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 42.44 million | — |
| 1971 | 26.21 million | -38.2% |
| 1972 | 27.19 million | +3.7% |
| 1973 | 28.18 million | +3.6% |
| 1974 | 28.99 million | +2.9% |
| 1975 | 29.77 million | +2.7% |
| 1976 | 31.36 million | +5.4% |
| 1977 | 31.82 million | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 32.23 million | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 32.28 million | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 32.70 million | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 32.83 million | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 34.05 million | +3.7% |
| 1983 | 33.57 million | -1.4% |
| 1984 | 34.58 million | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 33.97 million | -1.8% |
| 1986 | 34.22 million | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 34.42 million | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 34.97 million | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 36.12 million | +3.3% |
| 1990 | 36.94 million | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 37.09 million | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 38.42 million | +3.6% |
| 1993 | 38.62 million | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 39.43 million | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 39.73 million | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 40.77 million | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 40.30 million | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 41.37 million | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 43.07 million | +4.1% |
| 2000 | 43.94 million | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 47.08 million | +7.2% |
| 2002 | 50.39 million | +7.0% |
| 2003 | 52.79 million | +4.8% |
| 2004 | 54.05 million | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 55.19 million | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 56.76 million | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 57.73 million | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 58.54 million | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 59.85 million | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 60.57 million | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 60.82 million | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 60.53 million | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 60.20 million | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 59.72 million | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 59.12 million | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 59.04 million | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 59.18 million | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 59.45 million | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 60.09 million | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 60.94 million | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 61.93 million | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 62.53 million | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 63.13 million | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 64.18 million | +1.7% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200) changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | -38.2% | 42.44 million | 26.21 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 31.05 million | 26.21 million | 42.44 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 34.14 million | 32.70 million | 36.12 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 39.58 million | 36.94 million | 43.07 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.63 million | 43.94 million | 59.85 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.87 million | 59.04 million | 60.82 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.54 million | 60.94 million | 64.18 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200)
More education data for ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 29.36 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 54.74 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.299 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 58.14 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.2912 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 38.11 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 2.06 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 1.66 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 794,026 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200)?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200) was 64.18 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200)?
- The highest recorded value was 64.18 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200)?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.21 million in 1971.
- How does ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200) rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
- ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200) ranks 33rd out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes rising or falling in ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECE: All Countries (unsdcode:98200) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release