Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes in Portugal

Portugal: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes was 20,239 number in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
20,239 number
Change on year
up 3.4%
World rank
33rd
of 133 countries
All-time high
20,512 number
in 2006
All-time low
4,178 number
in 1998
Years of data
21
1998–2018

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes in Portugal, 1998–2018

5.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k1998200820181998: 4.2k number1999: 10.3k number2000: 11.7k number2001: 12.1k number2002: 12.9k number2003: 15.9k number2004: 17.4k number2005: 18.4k number2006: 20.5k number2007: 18.7k number2008: 16.0k number2009: 15.3k number2010: 16.9k number2011: 18.4k number2012: 19.2k number2013: 19.5k number2014: 20.2k number2015: 19.3k number2016: 19.1k number2017: 19.6k number2018: 20.2k number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2018, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes in Portugal stood at 20,239 number.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.4% on the previous year and up 26.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes in Portugal peaked at 20,512 number in 2006 and was at its lowest, 4,178 number, in 1998.

That places Portugal 33rd out of 133 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes (number) in Portugal, 1998 to 2018.
Year number Change
1998 4,178 number
1999 10,281 number +146.1%
2000 11,680 number +13.6%
2001 12,073 number +3.4%
2002 12,855 number +6.5%
2003 15,877 number +23.5%
2004 17,445 number +9.9%
2005 18,410 number +5.5%
2006 20,512 number +11.4%
2007 18,678 number -8.9%
2008 15,968 number -14.5%
2009 15,279 number -4.3%
2010 16,877 number +10.5%
2011 18,370 number +8.8%
2012 19,227 number +4.7%
2013 19,471 number +1.3%
2014 20,245 number +4.0%
2015 19,310 number -4.6%
2016 19,060 number -1.3%
2017 19,577 number +2.7%
2018 20,239 number +3.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 7,230 number 4,178 number 10,281 number 2
2000s 15,878 number 11,680 number 20,512 number 10
2010s 19,153 number 16,877 number 20,245 number 9

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 30 Czechia 22,457 number compare
  2. 31 Pakistan 22,147 number compare
  3. 32 Austria 20,396 number compare
  4. 34 Romania 19,756 number compare
  5. 35 Sweden 19,682 number compare
  6. 36 Finland 18,621 number compare

See the full ranking of 178 places →

More education data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes in Portugal?
Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes in Portugal was 20,239 number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 20,512 number in 2006.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 4,178 number in 1998.
How does Portugal rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes?
Portugal ranks 33rd out of 133 countries with data for 2018.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is up 26.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Portugal 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 Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-isced-8-programmes-both-sexes-number/portugal/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
178 places, 2,921 data points, 1997–2020
Last refreshed

Total number of students enrolled in public and private tertiary education institutions in programmes on the doctoral or equivalent (ISCED 8) level.