Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, female in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, female was 194,232 in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
194,232
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
16th
of 146 countries
All-time high
455,084
in 2003
All-time low
165,985
in 2015
Years of data
26
1998–2023

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, female in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1998–2023

0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k1998201020231998: 328.7k1999: 362.4k2000: 353.2k2001: 375.0k2002: 425.0k2003: 455.1k2004: 342.1k2005: 343.9k2006: 339.8k2007: 340.8k2008: 340.8k2009: 341.2k2010: 311.9k2011: 284.5k2012: 247.7k2013: 202.3k2014: 174.3k2015: 166.0k2016: 176.9k2017: 173.8k2018: 168.8k2019: 193.4k2020: 207.5k2021: 238.9k2022: 197.9k2023: 194.2k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2023, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 194,232.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.8% on the previous year and down 4.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 455,084 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 165,985, in 2015.

That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 16th out of 146 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, female in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, female (number) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1998 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1998 328,655
1999 362,426 +10.3%
2000 353,245 -2.5%
2001 374,976 +6.2%
2002 424,997 +13.3%
2003 455,084 +7.1%
2004 342,145 -24.8%
2005 343,934 +0.5%
2006 339,784 -1.2%
2007 340,828 +0.3%
2008 340,788 -0.0%
2009 341,220 +0.1%
2010 311,949 -8.6%
2011 284,480 -8.8%
2012 247,722 -12.9%
2013 202,316 -18.3%
2014 174,319 -13.8%
2015 165,985 -4.8%
2016 176,881 +6.6%
2017 173,777 -1.8%
2018 168,813 -2.9%
2019 193,369 +14.5%
2020 207,479 +7.3%
2021 238,862 +15.1%
2022 197,887 -17.2%
2023 194,232 -1.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 345,540 328,655 362,426 2
2000s 365,700 339,784 455,084 10
2010s 209,961 165,985 311,949 10
2020s 209,615 194,232 238,862 4

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 13 Canada 232,500 compare
  2. 14 Australia 221,371 compare
  3. 15 South Africa 205,802 compare
  4. 17 Chile 179,011 compare
  5. 18 Republic of Korea 177,734 compare
  6. 19 Ukraine 162,181 compare

See the full ranking of 364 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, isced 5 programmes, female in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 194,232 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 455,084 in 2003.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 165,985 in 2015.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 16th out of 146 countries with data for 2023.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
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, ISCED 5 programmes, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, female in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-isced-5-programmes-female-number-2/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, female (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
364 places, 7,676 data points, 1997–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release