Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) was 3.20 million in 2023. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1971–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 3.20 million for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in 2023. That is the highest value across all 53 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 34.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 3.20 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 601,300, in 1971.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 16th out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 601,300 | — |
| 1972 | 615,800 | +2.4% |
| 1973 | 622,100 | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 637,086 | +2.4% |
| 1975 | 703,645 | +10.4% |
| 1976 | 732,947 | +4.2% |
| 1977 | 750,180 | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 760,085 | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 783,342 | +3.1% |
| 1980 | 795,985 | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 827,146 | +3.9% |
| 1982 | 858,416 | +3.8% |
| 1983 | 980,538 | +14.2% |
| 1984 | 1.00 million | +2.0% |
| 1985 | 1.01 million | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 1.03 million | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 1.07 million | +3.5% |
| 1988 | 1.09 million | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 1.11 million | +2.5% |
| 1990 | 1.18 million | +5.8% |
| 1991 | 1.26 million | +6.8% |
| 1992 | 1.39 million | +10.1% |
| 1993 | 1.53 million | +10.3% |
| 1994 | 1.66 million | +8.9% |
| 1995 | 1.81 million | +9.0% |
| 1996 | 1.82 million | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 1.89 million | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 1.94 million | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 2.08 million | +7.4% |
| 2000 | 2.02 million | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 2.07 million | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 2.24 million | +8.4% |
| 2003 | 2.29 million | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 2.25 million | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 2.29 million | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 2.34 million | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 2.36 million | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 2.33 million | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 2.42 million | +3.7% |
| 2010 | 2.48 million | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 2.49 million | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 2.50 million | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 2.39 million | -4.4% |
| 2014 | 2.35 million | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 2.33 million | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 2.39 million | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 2.43 million | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 2.47 million | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 2.62 million | +6.1% |
| 2020 | 2.73 million | +4.4% |
| 2021 | 2.99 million | +9.5% |
| 2022 | 3.13 million | +4.5% |
| 2023 | 3.20 million | +2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 689,609 | 601,300 | 783,342 | 9 |
| 1980s | 976,954 | 795,985 | 1.11 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.66 million | 1.18 million | 2.08 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.26 million | 2.02 million | 2.42 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.44 million | 2.33 million | 2.62 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.01 million | 2.73 million | 3.20 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.86 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0111 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.071 units per person (2023)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.86 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.0111 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.071 units per person (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.37 million (2023)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 3.20 million in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 3.20 million in 2023.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 601,300 in 1971.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number)?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 16th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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.
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
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes UNESCO Institute for Statistics
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
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.