Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) in Malaysia
Malaysia: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) was 660,174 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Malaysia, 1979–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Malaysia stood at 660,174.
The figure is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 4.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Malaysia peaked at 718,227 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 20,464, in 1979.
That places Malaysia 37th out of 195 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.
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 20,464 | — |
| 1980 | 22,199 | +8.5% |
| 1982 | 28,703 | +29.3% |
| 1983 | 30,729 | +7.1% |
| 1984 | 33,357 | +8.6% |
| 1985 | 41,468 | +24.3% |
| 1988 | 49,570 | +19.5% |
| 1989 | 46,010 | -7.2% |
| 1998 | 226,379 | +392.0% |
| 1999 | 236,628 | +4.5% |
| 2000 | 280,078 | +18.4% |
| 2001 | 302,430 | +8.0% |
| 2002 | 348,239 | +15.1% |
| 2003 | 415,447 | +19.3% |
| 2004 | 405,040 | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 390,341 | -3.6% |
| 2006 | 404,332 | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 449,361 | +11.1% |
| 2008 | 514,751 | +14.6% |
| 2009 | 556,321 | +8.1% |
| 2010 | 599,875 | +7.8% |
| 2011 | 577,960 | -3.7% |
| 2012 | 603,238 | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 629,250 | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 631,650 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 718,227 | +13.7% |
| 2016 | 703,094 | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 653,393 | -7.1% |
| 2018 | 689,120 | +5.5% |
| 2019 | 668,868 | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 657,878 | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 634,808 | -3.5% |
| 2022 | 621,803 | -2.0% |
| 2023 | 637,942 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | 660,174 | +3.5% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 660,174 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 147,656, 4.5× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 660,174 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 95,251, 6.9× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) in Malaysia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | +392.0% | 46,010 | 226,379 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 20,464 | 20,464 | 20,464 | 1 |
| 1980s | 36,005 | 22,199 | 49,570 | 7 |
| 1990s | 231,504 | 226,379 | 236,628 | 2 |
| 2000s | 406,634 | 280,078 | 556,321 | 10 |
| 2010s | 647,468 | 577,960 | 718,227 | 10 |
| 2020s | 642,521 | 621,803 | 660,174 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More education data for Malaysia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 217,105 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 475,967 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 460,041 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.64 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.06 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0859 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Malaysia?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Malaysia was 660,174 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 718,227 in 2015.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 20,464 in 1979.
- How does Malaysia rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female?
- Malaysia ranks 37th out of 195 countries with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release