Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in WB: Europe & Central Asia (excluding High Income)
WB: Europe & Central Asia (excluding High Income): Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes was 14.16 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in WB: Europe & Central Asia (excluding High Income), 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in WB: Europe & Central Asia (excluding High Income) is 14.16 million, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of up 8.0% on the previous year and up 31.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in WB: Europe & Central Asia (excluding High Income) peaked at 14.16 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 3.70 million, in 1971.
WB: Europe & Central Asia (excluding High Income) ranks 109th of 221 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in WB: Europe & Central Asia (excluding High Income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 5.31 million | — |
| 1971 | 3.70 million | -30.3% |
| 1972 | 3.95 million | +6.8% |
| 1973 | 4.00 million | +1.3% |
| 1974 | 4.05 million | +1.2% |
| 1975 | 4.17 million | +2.9% |
| 1976 | 4.04 million | -3.2% |
| 1977 | 4.37 million | +8.2% |
| 1978 | 4.39 million | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 4.44 million | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 4.42 million | -0.4% |
| 1981 | 4.22 million | -4.6% |
| 1982 | 4.27 million | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 4.28 million | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 4.34 million | +1.4% |
| 1985 | 4.43 million | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 4.42 million | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 4.61 million | +4.4% |
| 1988 | 4.43 million | -3.9% |
| 1989 | 4.48 million | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 4.62 million | +3.1% |
| 1991 | 4.69 million | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 4.76 million | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 4.70 million | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 4.78 million | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 4.79 million | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 5.15 million | +7.6% |
| 1997 | 5.29 million | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 5.25 million | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 5.31 million | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 5.69 million | +7.1% |
| 2001 | 6.00 million | +5.5% |
| 2002 | 6.42 million | +7.0% |
| 2003 | 6.99 million | +8.9% |
| 2004 | 7.39 million | +5.7% |
| 2005 | 7.77 million | +5.1% |
| 2006 | 8.32 million | +7.1% |
| 2007 | 8.58 million | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 8.70 million | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 8.98 million | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 9.40 million | +4.6% |
| 2011 | 9.67 million | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 10.05 million | +3.9% |
| 2013 | 10.46 million | +4.1% |
| 2014 | 10.81 million | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 10.93 million | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 11.41 million | +4.5% |
| 2017 | 11.89 million | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 12.15 million | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 12.46 million | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 12.72 million | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 13.06 million | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 13.10 million | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 13.12 million | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 14.16 million | +8.0% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in WB: Europe & Central Asia (excluding High Income) 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 | -30.3% | 5.31 million | 3.70 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.24 million | 3.70 million | 5.31 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.39 million | 4.22 million | 4.61 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.93 million | 4.62 million | 5.31 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.48 million | 5.69 million | 8.98 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.92 million | 9.40 million | 12.46 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.23 million | 12.72 million | 14.16 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near WB: Europe & Central Asia (excluding High Income)
More education data for WB: Europe & Central Asia (excluding High Income)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 13.51 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.50 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.8629 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 14.58 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.9089 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 906,553 (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate -0.1924 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.8854 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 12.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.09 % change on previous year (2024)
All data for WB: Europe & Central Asia (excluding High Income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in WB: Europe & Central Asia (excluding High Income)?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in WB: Europe & Central Asia (excluding High Income) was 14.16 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in WB: Europe & Central Asia (excluding High Income)?
- The highest recorded value was 14.16 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in WB: Europe & Central Asia (excluding High Income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.70 million in 1971.
- How does WB: Europe & Central Asia (excluding High Income) rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
- WB: Europe & Central Asia (excluding High Income) ranks 109th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes rising or falling in WB: Europe & Central Asia (excluding High Income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this WB: Europe & Central Asia (excluding High Income) 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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CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release