Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)

ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420): Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes was 3.85 million in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
3.85 million
Change on year
up 0.2%
Rank
58th
of 218 groups
All-time high
4.80 million
in 2012
All-time low
2.13 million
in 2004
Years of data
21
2004–2024

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420), 2004–2024

01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M5.0M2004201420242004: 2.1M2005: 2.3M2006: 2.6M2007: 2.8M2008: 3.1M2009: 3.3M2010: 4.0M2011: 4.5M2012: 4.8M2013: 2.7M2014: 3.1M2015: 3.4M2016: 3.3M2017: 3.5M2018: 3.6M2019: 3.6M2020: 3.7M2021: 3.7M2022: 3.9M2023: 3.8M2024: 3.9M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) is 3.85 million, measured in 2024.

The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 25.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) peaked at 4.80 million in 2012 and was at its lowest, 2.13 million, in 2004.

That places ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) 58th 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 21 years of available data.

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420), year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes (number) in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420), 2004 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2004 2.13 million
2005 2.27 million +6.5%
2006 2.60 million +14.5%
2007 2.82 million +8.5%
2008 3.09 million +9.5%
2009 3.33 million +7.9%
2010 3.97 million +19.1%
2011 4.54 million +14.3%
2012 4.80 million +5.8%
2013 2.73 million -43.2%
2014 3.07 million +12.6%
2015 3.37 million +9.8%
2016 3.28 million -2.8%
2017 3.49 million +6.4%
2018 3.64 million +4.5%
2019 3.60 million -1.3%
2020 3.71 million +3.0%
2021 3.73 million +0.6%
2022 3.85 million +3.4%
2023 3.84 million -0.2%
2024 3.85 million +0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.71 million 2.13 million 3.33 million 6
2010s 3.65 million 2.73 million 4.80 million 10
2020s 3.80 million 3.71 million 3.85 million 5

Countries ranked near ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)

  1. 55 Jamaica 37,406 compare
  2. 56 Lebanon 36,710 compare
  3. 57 Congo 35,650 compare
  4. 58 Tanzania, United Republic of 35,247 compare
  5. 59 Zambia 34,886 compare
  6. 60 Italy 33,178 compare
  7. 61 Cambodia 33,018 compare

See the full ranking of 367 places →

More education data for ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)

All data for ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)?
Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) was 3.85 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: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)?
The highest recorded value was 4.80 million in 2012.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)?
The lowest recorded value was 2.13 million in 2004.
How does ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes?
ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) ranks 58th out of 218 groups with data for 2024.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes rising or falling in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)?
Over the last ten years it is up 25.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) 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: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-isced-5-programmes-both-sexes-number-2/escap-south-and-south-west-asia-sswa-unsdcode-98420/

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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