Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 … tertiary 5 both sexes in Malaysia
Malaysia: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 … tertiary 5 both sexes was 306,001 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in Malaysia, 1999–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Malaysia stood at 306,001.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 29.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Malaysia peaked at 468,382 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 226,122, in 1999.
That places Malaysia 24th out of 149 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 … tertiary 5 both sexes in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 226,122 | — |
| 2000 | 263,960 | +16.7% |
| 2001 | 263,602 | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 319,445 | +21.2% |
| 2003 | 365,769 | +14.5% |
| 2004 | 329,285 | -10.0% |
| 2005 | 278,103 | -15.5% |
| 2006 | 333,097 | +19.8% |
| 2007 | 351,577 | +5.5% |
| 2008 | 399,117 | +13.5% |
| 2009 | 438,234 | +9.8% |
| 2010 | 453,342 | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 435,417 | -4.0% |
| 2012 | 435,891 | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 435,052 | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 389,161 | -10.5% |
| 2016 | 468,382 | +20.4% |
| 2017 | 440,816 | -5.9% |
| 2018 | 458,065 | +3.9% |
| 2019 | 398,615 | -13.0% |
| 2020 | 355,219 | -10.9% |
| 2021 | 345,275 | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 311,773 | -9.7% |
| 2023 | 306,001 | -1.9% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 306,001 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 37,406, 8.2× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 306,001 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 69,266, 4.4× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 226,122 | 226,122 | 226,122 | 1 |
| 2000s | 334,219 | 263,602 | 438,234 | 10 |
| 2010s | 434,971 | 389,161 | 468,382 | 9 |
| 2020s | 329,567 | 306,001 | 355,219 | 4 |
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, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Malaysia?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Malaysia was 306,001 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 468,382 in 2016.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 226,122 in 1999.
- How does Malaysia rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes?
- Malaysia ranks 24th out of 149 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia 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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About this data
February 2026 Data Release