Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes was 122,567 in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
122,567
Change on year
up 8.9%
World rank
9th
of 143 countries
All-time high
122,567
in 2023
All-time low
69,617
in 1998
Years of data
26
1998–2023

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1998–2023

025.0k50.0k75.0k100.0k125.0k1998201020231998: 69.6k1999: 82.0k2000: 74.2k2001: 75.3k2002: 85.1k2003: 85.1k2004: 89.4k2005: 91.6k2006: 94.2k2007: 99.4k2008: 80.9k2009: 81.7k2010: 85.2k2011: 90.0k2012: 94.9k2013: 109.1k2014: 111.4k2015: 112.8k2016: 113.0k2017: 112.3k2018: 111.3k2019: 112.5k2020: 110.2k2021: 113.9k2022: 112.6k2023: 122.6k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is 122,567, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.9% on the previous year and up 12.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 122,567 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 69,617, in 1998.

That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 9th out of 143 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

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

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes (number) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1998 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1998 69,617
1999 81,951 +17.7%
2000 74,242 -9.4%
2001 75,334 +1.5%
2002 85,073 +12.9%
2003 85,061 -0.0%
2004 89,378 +5.1%
2005 91,607 +2.5%
2006 94,180 +2.8%
2007 99,416 +5.6%
2008 80,906 -18.6%
2009 81,693 +1.0%
2010 85,179 +4.3%
2011 90,028 +5.7%
2012 94,949 +5.5%
2013 109,058 +14.9%
2014 111,395 +2.1%
2015 112,800 +1.3%
2016 113,003 +0.2%
2017 112,289 -0.6%
2018 111,257 -0.9%
2019 112,545 +1.2%
2020 110,164 -2.1%
2021 113,877 +3.4%
2022 112,571 -1.1%
2023 122,567 +8.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 75,784 69,617 81,951 2
2000s 85,689 74,242 99,416 10
2010s 105,250 85,179 113,003 10
2020s 114,795 110,164 122,567 4

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 6 Türkiye 159,768 compare
  2. 7 Iran 150,898 compare
  3. 8 Brazil 134,373 compare
  4. 10 Spain 99,422 compare
  5. 11 Republic of Korea 87,354 compare
  6. 12 Japan 79,787 compare

See the full ranking of 359 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 8 programmes, both sexes in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 122,567 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 122,567 in 2023.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 69,617 in 1998.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 9th out of 143 countries with data for 2023.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
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 8 programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-isced-8-programmes-both-sexes-number-2/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
359 places, 7,935 data points, 1996–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release