Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in Italy

Italy: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) was 2.22 million in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
2.22 million
Change on year
up 3.3%
World rank
23rd
of 200 countries
All-time high
2.22 million
in 2023
All-time low
687,242
in 1971
Years of data
53
1971–2023

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in Italy, 1971–2023

500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M197119972023

Source: Statizoid (derived).

Analysis

The most recent figure for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in Italy is 2.22 million, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 53 years on record.

That represents a change of 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 (number) 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 53 years of available data.

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in Italy, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number), gaps filled in Italy, 1971 to 2023.
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%
1982 1.10 million -1.2%
1983 1.09 million -1.2%
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

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 911,395 687,242 1.09 million 9
1980s 1.16 million 1.09 million 1.30 million 10
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

  1. 20 Viet Nam 2.49 million compare
  2. 21 Colombia 2.47 million compare
  3. 22 Spain 2.44 million compare
  4. 24 Thailand 2.17 million compare
  5. 25 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 2.12 million compare
  6. 26 Saudi Arabia 2.01 million compare

See the full ranking of 421 places →

More education data for Italy

All data for Italy →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in Italy?
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in Italy was 2.22 million in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 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 (number) 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 (number)?
Italy ranks 23rd out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 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 Statizoid (derived), published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number), gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 53 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in Italy. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-all-programmes-both-sexes-number-gaps-filled/italy/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page; please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-all-programmes-both-sexes-number-gaps-filled/italy/">Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in Italy</a> — Statizoid

How this figure is calculated

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) with 690 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.

Computed from

Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.

About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number), gaps filled
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
421 places, 19,011 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) with 690 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.