Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) was 944,740 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
944,740
Change on year
up 19.6%
World rank
30th
of 195 countries
All-time high
944,740
in 2024
All-time low
691
in 1971
Years of data
50
1971–2024
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Saudi Arabia, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 944,740 for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in 2024. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
That represents a change of up 19.6% on the previous year and up 30.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Saudi Arabia peaked at 944,740 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 691, in 1971.
Saudi Arabia ranks 30th of 195 countries on this measure, 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 Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 691 | — |
| 1972 | 967 | +39.9% |
| 1973 | 1,335 | +38.1% |
| 1974 | 1,946 | +45.8% |
| 1975 | 2,922 | +50.2% |
| 1976 | 5,310 | +81.7% |
| 1977 | 7,118 | +34.0% |
| 1978 | 9,187 | +29.1% |
| 1979 | 10,978 | +19.5% |
| 1980 | 13,071 | +19.1% |
| 1981 | 17,311 | +32.4% |
| 1982 | 21,003 | +21.3% |
| 1983 | 26,172 | +24.6% |
| 1984 | 30,948 | +18.2% |
| 1985 | 38,009 | +22.8% |
| 1986 | 44,697 | +17.6% |
| 1987 | 46,254 | +3.5% |
| 1991 | 66,417 | +43.6% |
| 1992 | 64,732 | -2.5% |
| 1993 | 88,484 | +36.7% |
| 1994 | 90,602 | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 110,331 | +21.8% |
| 1996 | 121,366 | +10.0% |
| 1997 | 127,462 | +5.0% |
| 1998 | 154,679 | +21.4% |
| 1999 | 202,210 | +30.7% |
| 2000 | 225,995 | +11.8% |
| 2001 | 237,296 | +5.0% |
| 2002 | 248,281 | +4.6% |
| 2003 | 305,988 | +23.2% |
| 2004 | 336,920 | +10.1% |
| 2005 | 350,256 | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 368,365 | +5.2% |
| 2007 | 368,845 | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 390,974 | +6.0% |
| 2009 | 414,433 | +6.0% |
| 2010 | 473,725 | +14.3% |
| 2011 | 523,583 | +10.5% |
| 2012 | 594,146 | +13.5% |
| 2013 | 650,201 | +9.4% |
| 2014 | 726,942 | +11.8% |
| 2015 | 749,375 | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 792,832 | +5.8% |
| 2017 | 809,119 | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 800,780 | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 824,151 | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 801,107 | -2.8% |
| 2021 | 756,868 | -5.5% |
| 2022 | 790,136 | +4.4% |
| 2024 | 944,740 | +19.6% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 944,740 is above the median for high income countries, which is 97,133, 9.7× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 944,740 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 185,568, 5.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4,495 | 691 | 10,978 | 9 |
| 1980s | 29,683 | 13,071 | 46,254 | 8 |
| 1990s | 114,031 | 64,732 | 202,210 | 9 |
| 2000s | 324,735 | 225,995 | 414,433 | 10 |
| 2010s | 694,485 | 473,725 | 824,151 | 10 |
| 2020s | 823,213 | 756,868 | 944,740 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More education data for Saudi Arabia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 242,375 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 26,900 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 215,559 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 214,840 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.36 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.45 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.53 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0976 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Saudi Arabia?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Saudi Arabia was 944,740 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 944,740 in 2024.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 691 in 1971.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 30th out of 195 countries with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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 — 50 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release