Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, male (number) in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, male (number) was 133,343 in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
133,343
Change on year
up 2.6%
World rank
23rd
of 146 countries
All-time high
293,603
in 2003
All-time low
106,503
in 2015
Years of data
26
1998–2023

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, male in United Kingdom, 1998–2023

0100.0k200.0k300.0k1998201020231998: 259.8k1999: 274.2k2000: 258.9k2001: 269.5k2002: 285.9k2003: 293.6k2004: 170.7k2005: 173.3k2006: 172.1k2007: 175.4k2008: 180.7k2009: 185.4k2010: 172.2k2011: 160.0k2012: 143.1k2013: 124.5k2014: 111.0k2015: 106.5k2016: 118.2k2017: 113.7k2018: 115.4k2019: 137.8k2020: 156.5k2021: 175.4k2022: 130.0k2023: 133.3k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

United Kingdom recorded 133,343 for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, male in 2023.

That represents a change of up 2.6% on the previous year and up 7.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, male in United Kingdom peaked at 293,603 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 106,503, in 2015.

United Kingdom ranks 23rd of 146 countries on this measure, 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, male (number) in United Kingdom, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, male (number) in United Kingdom, 1998 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1998 259,771 —
1999 274,188 +5.5%
2000 258,917 -5.6%
2001 269,538 +4.1%
2002 285,926 +6.1%
2003 293,603 +2.7%
2004 170,686 -41.9%
2005 173,314 +1.5%
2006 172,099 -0.7%
2007 175,372 +1.9%
2008 180,730 +3.1%
2009 185,447 +2.6%
2010 172,183 -7.2%
2011 159,990 -7.1%
2012 143,069 -10.6%
2013 124,513 -13.0%
2014 111,024 -10.8%
2015 106,503 -4.1%
2016 118,217 +11.0%
2017 113,685 -3.8%
2018 115,432 +1.5%
2019 137,800 +19.4%
2020 156,481 +13.6%
2021 175,444 +12.1%
2022 129,995 -25.9%
2023 133,343 +2.6%

United Kingdom compared with similar countries

  • United Kingdom's 133,343 is above the median for high income countries, which is 5,487, 24.3× the median. (62 countries reporting)
  • United Kingdom's 133,343 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7,805, 17.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 266,980 259,771 274,188 2
2000s 216,563 170,686 293,603 10
2010s 130,242 106,503 172,183 10
2020s 148,816 129,995 175,444 4

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 20 Malaysia 152,361 compare
  2. 21 Chile 139,975 compare
  3. 22 Ecuador 133,939 compare
  4. 24 Greece 128,019 compare
  5. 25 South Africa 123,412 compare
  6. 26 Morocco 103,788 compare

See the full ranking of 364 places →

More education data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, male in United Kingdom?
Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, male in United Kingdom was 133,343 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, male recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 293,603 in 2003.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, male recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 106,503 in 2015.
How does United Kingdom rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, male?
United Kingdom ranks 23rd out of 146 countries with data for 2023.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, male rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, male in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 15 October 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-isced-5-programmes-male-number-2/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, male (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
364 places, 7,660 data points, 1997–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release