Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417)

ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417): Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes was 3.71 million in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
3.71 million
Change on year
up 6.7%
Rank
60th
of 218 groups
All-time high
3.71 million
in 2024
All-time low
1.53 million
in 2014
Years of data
28
1997–2024

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417), 1997–2024

01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M1997201020241997: 2.1M1998: 2.3M1999: 2.3M2000: 2.4M2001: 2.6M2002: 2.7M2003: 2.8M2004: 2.3M2005: 2.2M2006: 2.2M2007: 2.1M2008: 2.1M2009: 1.9M2010: 1.8M2011: 1.7M2012: 1.6M2013: 1.6M2014: 1.5M2015: 1.6M2016: 1.6M2017: 1.7M2018: 1.7M2019: 1.7M2020: 2.1M2021: 2.5M2022: 3.0M2023: 3.5M2024: 3.7M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417) recorded 3.71 million for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.

The figure is up 6.7% on the previous year and up 141.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417) peaked at 3.71 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.53 million, in 2014.

That places ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417) 60th out of 218 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417), year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes (number) in ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417), 1997 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1997 2.11 million
1998 2.25 million +6.5%
1999 2.29 million +1.7%
2000 2.44 million +6.6%
2001 2.61 million +7.0%
2002 2.72 million +4.2%
2003 2.80 million +2.9%
2004 2.32 million -17.0%
2005 2.18 million -6.1%
2006 2.18 million -0.2%
2007 2.15 million -1.3%
2008 2.12 million -1.3%
2009 1.95 million -8.0%
2010 1.85 million -5.1%
2011 1.74 million -5.9%
2012 1.64 million -5.6%
2013 1.64 million +0.0%
2014 1.53 million -6.6%
2015 1.58 million +3.1%
2016 1.62 million +2.7%
2017 1.70 million +4.7%
2018 1.73 million +1.6%
2019 1.74 million +0.7%
2020 2.08 million +19.5%
2021 2.51 million +20.5%
2022 3.00 million +19.7%
2023 3.47 million +15.9%
2024 3.71 million +6.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2.22 million 2.11 million 2.29 million 3
2000s 2.35 million 1.95 million 2.80 million 10
2010s 1.68 million 1.53 million 1.85 million 10
2020s 2.95 million 2.08 million 3.71 million 5

Countries ranked near ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417)

  1. 57 Congo 35,650 compare
  2. 58 Tanzania, United Republic of 35,247 compare
  3. 59 Zambia 34,886 compare
  4. 60 Italy 33,178 compare
  5. 61 Cambodia 33,018 compare
  6. 62 Palestine, State of 32,696 compare
  7. 63 Jordan 31,520 compare

See the full ranking of 367 places →

More education data for ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417)

All data for ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417) →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417)?
Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417) was 3.71 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417)?
The highest recorded value was 3.71 million in 2024.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417)?
The lowest recorded value was 1.53 million in 2014.
How does ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417) rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes?
ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417) ranks 60th out of 218 groups with data for 2024.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes rising or falling in ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417)?
Over the last ten years it is up 141.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417) data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-isced-5-programmes-both-sexes-number-2/escap-north-and-central-asia-nca-unsdcode-98417/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
367 places, 7,760 data points, 1997–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release