Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male was 1.38 million in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
1.38 million
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
16th
of 195 countries
All-time high
1.38 million
in 2023
All-time low
401,500
in 1971
Years of data
53
1971–2023

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1971–2023

400.0k600.0k800.0k1.0M1.2M1.4M197119972023

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 1.38 million for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in 2023. That is the highest value across all 53 years on record.

The figure is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 32.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 1.38 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 401,500, in 1971.

That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 16th out of 195 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 53 years of available data.

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1971 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1971 401,500
1972 408,400 +1.7%
1973 407,300 -0.3%
1974 411,037 +0.9%
1975 450,931 +9.7%
1976 468,693 +3.9%
1977 480,691 +2.6%
1978 488,508 +1.6%
1979 502,702 +2.9%
1980 505,175 +0.5%
1981 524,174 +3.8%
1982 538,179 +2.7%
1983 548,160 +1.9%
1984 555,791 +1.4%
1985 555,711 -0.0%
1986 562,543 +1.2%
1987 575,018 +2.2%
1988 581,277 +1.1%
1989 592,884 +2.0%
1990 616,865 +4.0%
1991 651,148 +5.6%
1992 709,727 +9.0%
1993 770,452 +8.6%
1994 831,129 +7.9%
1995 889,402 +7.0%
1996 901,733 +1.4%
1997 911,791 +1.1%
1998 917,556 +0.6%
1999 973,987 +6.2%
2000 932,284 -4.3%
2001 939,743 +0.8%
2002 1.00 million +6.7%
2003 1.01 million +0.6%
2004 965,426 -4.3%
2005 979,179 +1.4%
2006 996,937 +1.8%
2007 1.01 million +1.3%
2008 996,455 -1.4%
2009 1.04 million +4.3%
2010 1.08 million +3.6%
2011 1.09 million +1.0%
2012 1.09 million +0.3%
2013 1.05 million -4.0%
2014 1.04 million -1.1%
2015 1.02 million -1.4%
2016 1.04 million +1.9%
2017 1.05 million +1.2%
2018 1.06 million +1.1%
2019 1.13 million +6.0%
2020 1.19 million +5.1%
2021 1.29 million +9.1%
2022 1.35 million +4.3%
2023 1.38 million +2.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 446,640 401,500 502,702 9
1980s 553,891 505,175 592,884 10
1990s 817,379 616,865 973,987 10
2000s 987,130 932,284 1.04 million 10
2010s 1.06 million 1.02 million 1.13 million 10
2020s 1.30 million 1.19 million 1.38 million 4

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 13 Iran, Islamic Republic of 1.70 million compare
  2. 14 Germany 1.62 million compare
  3. 15 Republic of Korea 1.50 million compare
  4. 17 Argentina 1.36 million compare
  5. 18 Pakistan 1.36 million compare
  6. 19 France 1.28 million compare

See the full ranking of 416 places →

More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 1.38 million in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 1.38 million in 2023.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 401,500 in 1971.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 16th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 32.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-all-programmes-male-number-2/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
416 places, 17,221 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release