Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Australia

Australia: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female was 1.05 million in 2024. β—† Volatile

Latest (2024)
1.05 million
Change on year
up 6.6%
World rank
26th
of 192 countries
All-time high
1.10 million
in 2016
All-time low
58,771
in 1970
Years of data
38
1970–2024

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Australia, 1970–2024

0250.0k500.0k750.0k1.0M1970199720241970: 58.8k1971: 66.1k1972: 73.4k1973: 81.8k1974: 98.3k1975: 111.6k1976: 123.1k1977: 128.7k1978: 135.9k1979: 142.0k1980: 146.7k1981: 150.8k1982: 154.1k1983: 161.4k1984: 166.8k1985: 176.2k1986: 190.4k1987: 197.3k1988: 215.0k1989: 229.8k1990: 255.7k1991: 284.9k1992: 298.8k1993: 450.6k1994: 460.3k1995: 483.6k1996: 507.1k1997: 529.3k2015: 1.1M2016: 1.1M2017: 1.0M2018: 948.5k2019: 1.0M2020: 1.0M2021: 1.0M2022: 967.6k2023: 988.2k2024: 1.1M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2024, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Australia stood at 1.05 million.

That represents a change of up 6.6% on the previous year and down 4.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Australia peaked at 1.10 million in 2016 and was at its lowest, 58,771, in 1970.

That places Australia 26th out of 192 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 101,953 58,771 141,979 10
1980s 178,858 146,676 229,791 10
1990s 408,777 255,655 529,335 8
2010s 1.04 million 948,506 1.10 million 5
2020s 1.01 million 967,620 1.05 million 5

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 23 Italy 1.25 million compare
  2. 24 Korea 1.23 million compare
  3. 25 Thailand 1.23 million compare
  4. 27 Canada 1.03 million compare
  5. 28 Peru 990,756 compare
  6. 29 Algeria 986,794 compare

See the full ranking of 416 places β†’

More education data for Australia

All data for Australia β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Australia?
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Australia was 1.05 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 1.10 million in 2016.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 58,771 in 1970.
How does Australia rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female?
Australia ranks 26th out of 192 countries with data for 2024.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-all-programmes-female-number-2/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
416 places, 17,247 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release