Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in France
France: Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions was 72.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in France, 1999–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
France recorded 72.5% for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and down 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in France peaked at 86.3% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 72.5%, in 2024.
France ranks 89th of 155 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in France, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 86.3% | — |
| 2000 | 85.5% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 84.7% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 84.1% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 83.9% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 83.6% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 83.6% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 83.4% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 82.9% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 81.9% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 81.2% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 80.3% | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 79.9% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 79.5% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 79.2% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 79.2% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 79.5% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 79.4% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 78.9% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 76.3% | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 75.8% | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 75.0% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 76.1% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 74.4% | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 73.1% | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 72.5% | -0.7% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 72.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 80.5%, 90% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- France's 72.5% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 82.7%, 88% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 86.3% | 86.3% | 86.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 83.5% | 81.2% | 85.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 78.8% | 75.8% | 80.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 74.2% | 72.5% | 76.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near France
More education data for France
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 457,956 (2019)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 43,533 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.19 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.14 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.27 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.13 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0602 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in France?
- Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in France was 72.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 86.3% in 1999.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 72.5% in 2024.
- How does France rank for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions?
- France ranks 89th out of 155 countries with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this France 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.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release