Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD): Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes was 11.96 million number in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
11.96 million number
Change on year
up 0.6%
Rank
31st
of 45 groups
All-time high
12.36 million number
in 2015
All-time low
571,712 number
in 1970
Years of data
50
1970–2019

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1970–2019

02.5M5.0M7.5M10.0M12.5M197019942019

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) is 11.96 million number, measured in 2019.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 20.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 12.36 million number in 2015 and was at its lowest, 571,712 number, in 1970.

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 31st of 45 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1970 to 2019.
Year number Change
1970 571,712 number
1971 614,686 number +7.5%
1972 686,476 number +11.7%
1973 777,784 number +13.3%
1974 865,968 number +11.3%
1975 981,049 number +13.3%
1976 1.12 million number +14.0%
1977 1.25 million number +11.4%
1978 1.34 million number +7.4%
1979 1.41 million number +5.2%
1980 1.53 million number +8.5%
1981 1.69 million number +10.4%
1982 1.82 million number +8.0%
1983 1.92 million number +5.5%
1984 2.05 million number +6.7%
1985 2.12 million number +3.4%
1986 2.26 million number +6.6%
1987 2.37 million number +4.6%
1988 2.46 million number +4.0%
1989 2.49 million number +1.4%
1990 2.60 million number +4.2%
1991 2.62 million number +0.8%
1992 2.85 million number +8.7%
1993 3.13 million number +9.9%
1994 3.39 million number +8.3%
1995 3.70 million number +9.2%
1996 4.13 million number +11.6%
1997 4.55 million number +10.1%
1998 4.94 million number +8.6%
1999 5.45 million number +10.2%
2000 5.70 million number +4.6%
2001 6.08 million number +6.7%
2002 6.41 million number +5.3%
2003 6.61 million number +3.2%
2004 7.22 million number +9.2%
2005 7.72 million number +6.9%
2006 8.19 million number +6.1%
2007 8.89 million number +8.6%
2008 9.74 million number +9.6%
2009 9.97 million number +2.4%
2010 10.54 million number +5.7%
2011 10.58 million number +0.4%
2012 11.19 million number +5.8%
2013 11.51 million number +2.8%
2014 12.11 million number +5.2%
2015 12.36 million number +2.1%
2016 12.27 million number -0.7%
2017 12.21 million number -0.5%
2018 11.89 million number -2.6%
2019 11.96 million number +0.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 960,822 number 571,712 number 1.41 million number 10
1980s 2.07 million number 1.53 million number 2.49 million number 10
1990s 3.74 million number 2.60 million number 5.45 million number 10
2000s 7.65 million number 5.70 million number 9.97 million number 10
2010s 11.66 million number 10.54 million number 12.36 million number 10

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

  1. 28 Saudi Arabia 1.65 million number compare
  2. 29 Canada 1.62 million number compare
  3. 30 Ukraine 1.60 million number compare
  4. 31 Algeria 1.60 million number compare
  5. 32 Nigeria 1.51 million number compare
  6. 33 Poland 1.49 million number compare
  7. 34 Chile 1.25 million number compare

See the full ranking of 238 places →

More education data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) was 11.96 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
The highest recorded value was 12.36 million number in 2015.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
The lowest recorded value was 571,712 number in 1970.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 31st out of 45 groups with data for 2019.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Over the last ten years it is up 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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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Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-all-programmes-both-sexes-number/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan-ida-and-ibrd/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
238 places, 8,058 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

The total number of students enrolled at public and private tertiary education institutions.