Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in MDG: World
MDG: World: Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes was 43.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
43.6%
Change on year
up 1.0%
Rank
87th
of 221 groups
All-time high
43.6%
in 2024
All-time low
8.7%
in 1971
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in MDG: World, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in MDG: World is 43.6%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and up 22.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in MDG: World peaked at 43.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 8.7%, in 1971.
MDG: World ranks 87th of 221 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in MDG: World, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 17.4% | — |
| 1971 | 8.7% | -49.9% |
| 1972 | 10.7% | +22.0% |
| 1973 | 9.7% | -8.6% |
| 1974 | 11.3% | +16.6% |
| 1975 | 11.5% | +1.7% |
| 1976 | 10.7% | -7.1% |
| 1977 | 10.9% | +2.0% |
| 1978 | 11.2% | +2.3% |
| 1979 | 11.4% | +2.3% |
| 1980 | 11.9% | +3.7% |
| 1981 | 12.2% | +3.0% |
| 1982 | 12.4% | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 12.3% | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 13.7% | +11.5% |
| 1985 | 13.6% | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 12.5% | -7.9% |
| 1987 | 13.0% | +4.0% |
| 1988 | 13.0% | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 13.3% | +2.8% |
| 1990 | 13.3% | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 13.5% | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 14.9% | +9.9% |
| 1993 | 15.3% | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 15.8% | +3.5% |
| 1995 | 16.3% | +3.1% |
| 1996 | 16.4% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 17.9% | +9.4% |
| 1998 | 18.1% | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 18.8% | +4.0% |
| 2000 | 19.5% | +3.7% |
| 2001 | 20.4% | +4.7% |
| 2002 | 21.6% | +6.1% |
| 2003 | 22.8% | +5.1% |
| 2004 | 23.6% | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 24.3% | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 25.7% | +5.6% |
| 2007 | 26.3% | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 27.4% | +4.0% |
| 2009 | 28.3% | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 29.6% | +4.6% |
| 2011 | 31.1% | +5.3% |
| 2012 | 32.3% | +3.7% |
| 2013 | 33.1% | +2.4% |
| 2014 | 35.6% | +7.5% |
| 2015 | 36.6% | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 37.1% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 37.5% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 37.9% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 38.7% | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 39.7% | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 41.1% | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 42.0% | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 43.2% | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 43.6% | +1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 11.4% | 8.7% | 17.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.8% | 11.9% | 13.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.0% | 13.3% | 18.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.0% | 19.5% | 28.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.9% | 29.6% | 38.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 41.9% | 39.7% | 43.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near MDG: World
More education data for MDG: World
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 34.10 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.4213 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 337.02 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.7457 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 314.66 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 651.68 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.66 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.21 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 206.57 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in MDG: World?
- Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in MDG: World was 43.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes recorded in MDG: World?
- The highest recorded value was 43.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes recorded in MDG: World?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.7% in 1971.
- How does MDG: World rank for gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes?
- MDG: World ranks 87th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes rising or falling in MDG: World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this MDG: World data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release