Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Australia
Australia: Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions was 75.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Australia, 2015–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Australia stood at 75.7%. That is the lowest value across all 10 years on record.
The figure is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 8.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Australia peaked at 84.5% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 75.7%, in 2024.
That places Australia 82nd out of 155 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 82.3% | — |
| 2016 | 82.4% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 84.5% | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 78.0% | -7.7% |
| 2019 | 79.3% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 78.3% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 77.6% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 77.3% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 77.3% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 75.7% | -2.0% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 75.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 80.5%, 94% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Australia's 75.7% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 76.1%, 100% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 81.3% | 78.0% | 84.5% | 5 |
| 2020s | 77.2% | 75.7% | 78.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More education data for Australia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 104,110 (1992)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 316,638 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 292,593 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.65 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.27 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.4362 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0835 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Australia?
- Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Australia was 75.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 84.5% in 2017.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 75.7% in 2024.
- How does Australia rank for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions?
- Australia ranks 82nd out of 155 countries with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release