Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia

SDG: Western Asia: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes was 3.94 million in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
3.94 million
Change on year
up 2.8%
Rank
57th
of 218 groups
All-time high
3.94 million
in 2023
All-time low
640,413
in 1997
Years of data
27
1997–2023

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia, 1997–2023

1.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M1997201020231997: 640.4k1998: 667.7k1999: 698.1k2000: 726.1k2001: 733.7k2002: 767.5k2003: 978.5k2004: 987.4k2005: 1.1M2006: 1.1M2007: 1.2M2008: 1.3M2009: 1.4M2010: 1.6M2011: 1.6M2012: 1.8M2013: 2.1M2014: 2.3M2015: 2.6M2016: 2.9M2017: 3.2M2018: 3.4M2019: 3.5M2020: 3.7M2021: 3.9M2022: 3.8M2023: 3.9M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia is 3.94 million, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.

The figure is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 87.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia peaked at 3.94 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 640,413, in 1997.

SDG: Western Asia ranks 57th of 218 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes (number) in SDG: Western Asia, 1997 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1997 640,413
1998 667,707 +4.3%
1999 698,096 +4.6%
2000 726,139 +4.0%
2001 733,734 +1.0%
2002 767,492 +4.6%
2003 978,548 +27.5%
2004 987,445 +0.9%
2005 1.05 million +6.8%
2006 1.15 million +9.0%
2007 1.22 million +6.1%
2008 1.28 million +5.0%
2009 1.43 million +11.3%
2010 1.60 million +12.1%
2011 1.65 million +3.0%
2012 1.84 million +11.8%
2013 2.11 million +14.5%
2014 2.34 million +11.4%
2015 2.59 million +10.4%
2016 2.87 million +10.8%
2017 3.17 million +10.5%
2018 3.37 million +6.4%
2019 3.51 million +4.1%
2020 3.73 million +6.2%
2021 3.90 million +4.6%
2022 3.83 million -1.7%
2023 3.94 million +2.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 668,739 640,413 698,096 3
2000s 1.03 million 726,139 1.43 million 10
2010s 2.50 million 1.60 million 3.51 million 10
2020s 3.85 million 3.73 million 3.94 million 4

Countries ranked near SDG: Western Asia

  1. 54 New Zealand 39,233 compare
  2. 55 Jamaica 37,406 compare
  3. 56 Lebanon 36,710 compare
  4. 57 Congo 35,650 compare
  5. 58 Tanzania, United Republic of 35,247 compare
  6. 59 Zambia 34,886 compare
  7. 60 Italy 33,178 compare

See the full ranking of 367 places →

More education data for SDG: Western Asia

All data for SDG: Western Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia?
Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia was 3.94 million in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in SDG: Western Asia?
The highest recorded value was 3.94 million in 2023.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in SDG: Western Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 640,413 in 1997.
How does SDG: Western Asia rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes?
SDG: Western Asia ranks 57th out of 218 groups with data for 2023.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Western Asia?
Over the last ten years it is up 87.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this SDG: Western Asia 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 SDG: Western Asia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-isced-5-programmes-both-sexes-number-2/sdg-western-asia/

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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