Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Italy
Italy: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes was 2.22 million in 2023. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Italy, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Italy is 2.22 million, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 52 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.3% on the previous year and up 18.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Italy peaked at 2.22 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 687,242, in 1971.
That places Italy 23rd out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Italy, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 687,242 | — |
| 1972 | 788,690 | +14.8% |
| 1973 | 808,740 | +2.5% |
| 1974 | 847,321 | +4.8% |
| 1975 | 930,211 | +9.8% |
| 1976 | 976,712 | +5.0% |
| 1977 | 1.02 million | +4.5% |
| 1978 | 1.05 million | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 1.09 million | +3.6% |
| 1980 | 1.10 million | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 1.12 million | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 1.09 million | -2.4% |
| 1984 | 1.12 million | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 1.18 million | +5.5% |
| 1986 | 1.19 million | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 1.15 million | -2.7% |
| 1988 | 1.23 million | +6.5% |
| 1989 | 1.30 million | +5.6% |
| 1990 | 1.36 million | +4.8% |
| 1991 | 1.45 million | +6.9% |
| 1992 | 1.53 million | +5.6% |
| 1993 | 1.62 million | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 1.77 million | +9.6% |
| 1995 | 1.79 million | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 1.78 million | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 1.89 million | +6.6% |
| 1998 | 1.87 million | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 1.80 million | -3.8% |
| 2000 | 1.77 million | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 1.81 million | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 1.85 million | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 1.91 million | +3.2% |
| 2004 | 1.99 million | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 2.02 million | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 2.03 million | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 2.03 million | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 2.01 million | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 2.01 million | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 1.98 million | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 1.97 million | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 1.93 million | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 1.87 million | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 1.85 million | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 1.83 million | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 1.82 million | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 1.84 million | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 1.90 million | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 1.94 million | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 2.03 million | +4.8% |
| 2021 | 2.10 million | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 2.15 million | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 2.22 million | +3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 911,395 | 687,242 | 1.09 million | 9 |
| 1980s | 1.16 million | 1.09 million | 1.30 million | 9 |
| 1990s | 1.69 million | 1.36 million | 1.89 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.94 million | 1.77 million | 2.03 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.89 million | 1.82 million | 1.98 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.12 million | 2.03 million | 2.22 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near Italy
More education data for Italy
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 250,961 (2024)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 63.2% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 11.7% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 11 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Primary secondary enrollment completion rates, gaps filled 103.57 (2023)
- School enrollment, primary 103.6% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Italy?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Italy was 2.22 million in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 2.22 million in 2023.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 687,242 in 1971.
- How does Italy rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
- Italy ranks 23rd out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Italy 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release