Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in Italy

Italy: Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, both sexes was 35.1% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
35.1%
Change on year
down 2.9%
World rank
29th
of 44 countries
All-time high
36.1%
in 2020
All-time low
29.7%
in 2011
Years of data
16
2006–2021

Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in Italy, 2006–2021

0102030402006201320212006: 31.3 %2007: 32.3 %2008: 31.6 %2009: 30.8 %2010: 30.6 %2011: 29.7 %2012: 29.9 %2013: 29.9 %2014: 30.4 %2015: 31.1 %2016: 31.8 %2017: 32.8 %2018: 33.2 %2019: 33.9 %2020: 36.1 %2021: 35.1 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in Italy is 35.1%, measured in 2021.

That represents a change of down 2.9% on the previous year and up 17.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in Italy peaked at 36.1% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 29.7%, in 2011.

That places Italy 29th out of 44 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.

Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in Italy, year by year

Annual values for Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, both sexes (%) in Italy, 2006 to 2021.
Year % Change
2006 31.3%
2007 32.3% +3.1%
2008 31.6% -2.1%
2009 30.8% -2.6%
2010 30.6% -0.7%
2011 29.7% -2.8%
2012 29.9% +0.4%
2013 29.9% +0.2%
2014 30.4% +1.7%
2015 31.1% +2.1%
2016 31.8% +2.3%
2017 32.8% +3.3%
2018 33.2% +1.2%
2019 33.9% +2.1%
2020 36.1% +6.6%
2021 35.1% -2.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 31.5% 30.8% 32.3% 4
2010s 31.3% 29.7% 33.9% 10
2020s 35.6% 35.1% 36.1% 2

Countries ranked near Italy

  1. 26 Romania 37.0% compare
  2. 27 Lithuania 36.9% compare
  3. 28 Cyprus 35.7% compare
  4. 30 Norway 34.1% compare
  5. 31 Estonia 32.6% compare
  6. 32 Honduras 32.4% compare

See the full ranking of 44 places →

More education data for Italy

All data for Italy →

Frequently asked questions

What is gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in Italy?
Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in Italy was 35.1% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, both sexes recorded in Italy?
The highest recorded value was 36.1% in 2020.
What is the lowest gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, both sexes recorded in Italy?
The lowest recorded value was 29.7% in 2011.
How does Italy rank for gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, both sexes?
Italy ranks 29th out of 44 countries with data for 2021.
Is gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, both sexes rising or falling in Italy?
Over the last ten years it is up 17.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Italy data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in Italy. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/gross-attendance-ratio-for-tertiary-education-both-sexes-percent-2/italy/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/gross-attendance-ratio-for-tertiary-education-both-sexes-percent-2/italy/">Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in Italy</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Gross attendance ratio for tertiary education, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
44 places, 712 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release