Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, female (number) in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, female (number) was 64,321 in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
64,321
Change on year
up 11.4%
World rank
9th
of 142 countries
All-time high
64,321
in 2023
All-time low
26,942
in 1998
Years of data
26
1998–2023

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, female in United Kingdom, 1998–2023

020.0k40.0k60.0k1998201020231998: 26.9k1999: 32.4k2000: 30.3k2001: 31.6k2002: 36.4k2003: 36.6k2004: 39.2k2005: 40.5k2006: 42.0k2007: 45.0k2008: 37.5k2009: 38.0k2010: 40.1k2011: 42.4k2012: 44.6k2013: 51.1k2014: 52.3k2015: 53.5k2016: 54.0k2017: 54.2k2018: 54.1k2019: 55.0k2020: 54.5k2021: 57.2k2022: 57.7k2023: 64.3k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, female in United Kingdom is 64,321, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.

The figure is up 11.4% on the previous year and up 25.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, female in United Kingdom peaked at 64,321 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 26,942, in 1998.

That places United Kingdom 9th out of 142 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, female (number) in United Kingdom, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, female (number) in United Kingdom, 1998 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1998 26,942 —
1999 32,376 +20.2%
2000 30,316 -6.4%
2001 31,571 +4.1%
2002 36,422 +15.4%
2003 36,567 +0.4%
2004 39,233 +7.3%
2005 40,550 +3.4%
2006 42,016 +3.6%
2007 44,963 +7.0%
2008 37,535 -16.5%
2009 37,998 +1.2%
2010 40,086 +5.5%
2011 42,391 +5.8%
2012 44,563 +5.1%
2013 51,097 +14.7%
2014 52,324 +2.4%
2015 53,450 +2.2%
2016 53,965 +1.0%
2017 54,212 +0.5%
2018 54,051 -0.3%
2019 54,996 +1.7%
2020 54,467 -1.0%
2021 57,217 +5.0%
2022 57,745 +0.9%
2023 64,321 +11.4%

United Kingdom compared with similar countries

  • United Kingdom's 64,321 is above the median for high income countries, which is 4,414, 14.6× the median. (60 countries reporting)
  • United Kingdom's 64,321 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3,320, 19.4× the median. (52 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 29,659 26,942 32,376 2
2000s 37,717 30,316 44,963 10
2010s 50,114 40,086 54,996 10
2020s 58,438 54,467 64,321 4

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 6 Turkey 80,415 compare
  2. 7 Brazil 71,776 compare
  3. 8 Iran 69,759 compare
  4. 10 Spain 49,953 compare
  5. 11 South Korea 39,166 compare
  6. 12 Mexico 34,839 compare

See the full ranking of 358 places →

More education data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, female in United Kingdom?
Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, female in United Kingdom was 64,321 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, female recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 64,321 in 2023.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, female recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 26,942 in 1998.
How does United Kingdom rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, female?
United Kingdom ranks 9th out of 142 countries with data for 2023.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, female rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is up 25.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
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 8 programmes, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, female 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-8-programmes-female-number-2/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, female (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
358 places, 7,873 data points, 1996–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release