Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Netherlands

Netherlands: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes was 889,506 number in 2018. β–² Rising

Latest (2018)
889,506 number
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
39th
of 193 countries
All-time high
889,506 number
in 2018
All-time low
231,167 number
in 1971
Years of data
44
1971–2018

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Netherlands, 1971–2018

200.0k400.0k600.0k800.0k1971199420181971: 231.2k number1972: 248.0k number1975: 264.3k number1976: 288.0k number1977: 305.1k number1978: 320.5k number1979: 329.0k number1980: 350.8k number1981: 360.0k number1982: 371.5k number1983: 379.0k number1984: 384.4k number1985: 390.2k number1986: 404.9k number1987: 399.8k number1988: 413.5k number1989: 415.8k number1990: 437.5k number1991: 478.9k number1992: 493.6k number1993: 506.6k number1994: 532.4k number1995: 502.9k number1996: 491.7k number1997: 469.0k number1998: 461.4k number1999: 469.9k number2000: 487.6k number2001: 504.0k number2002: 516.8k number2003: 526.8k number2004: 543.4k number2005: 565.0k number2006: 579.6k number2007: 590.1k number2008: 602.3k number2009: 618.5k number2010: 650.9k number2011: 780.0k number2012: 793.7k number2015: 842.6k number2016: 836.9k number2017: 875.5k number2018: 889.5k number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Netherlands is 889,506 number, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 44 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.6% on the previous year and up 47.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Netherlands peaked at 889,506 number in 2018 and was at its lowest, 231,167 number, in 1971.

That places Netherlands 39th out of 193 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 283,725 number 231,167 number 328,968 number 7
1980s 387,000 number 350,778 number 415,847 number 10
1990s 484,381 number 437,488 number 532,405 number 10
2000s 553,414 number 487,649 number 618,502 number 10
2010s 809,872 number 650,905 number 889,506 number 7

Countries ranked near Netherlands

  1. 36 South Africa 1.18 million number compare
  2. 37 Morocco 1.12 million number compare
  3. 38 Myanmar 932,199 number compare
  4. 40 Greece 766,874 number compare
  5. 41 Ethiopia 757,175 number compare
  6. 42 Syrian Arab Republic 697,415 number compare

See the full ranking of 238 places β†’

More education data for Netherlands

All data for Netherlands β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Netherlands?
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Netherlands was 889,506 number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in Netherlands?
The highest recorded value was 889,506 number in 2018.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in Netherlands?
The lowest recorded value was 231,167 number in 1971.
How does Netherlands rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
Netherlands ranks 39th out of 193 countries with data for 2018.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes rising or falling in Netherlands?
Over the last ten years it is up 47.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Netherlands 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 Netherlands. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-all-programmes-both-sexes-number/netherlands/

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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.