Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Netherlands
Netherlands: Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions was 84.5% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Netherlands, 1999–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Netherlands is 84.5%, measured in 2021.
The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and down 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Netherlands peaked at 86.6% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1999.
That places Netherlands 48th out of 155 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 0.0% | — |
| 2001 | 0.0% | — |
| 2003 | 0.0% | — |
| 2012 | 86.6% | — |
| 2015 | 84.8% | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 85.6% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 83.1% | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 83.8% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 83.6% | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 84.5% | +1.0% |
Netherlands compared with similar countries
- Netherlands's 84.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 80.5%, 1.0× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Netherlands's 84.5% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 82.7%, 1.0× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 84.8% | 83.1% | 86.6% | 5 |
| 2020s | 84.0% | 83.6% | 84.5% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
More education data for Netherlands
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 118,472 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 23,856 (1985)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 247,743 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 240,049 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.61 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.14 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.0937 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.064 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Netherlands?
- Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Netherlands was 84.5% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 86.6% in 2012.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1999.
- How does Netherlands rank for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions?
- Netherlands ranks 48th out of 155 countries with data for 2021.
- Is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Netherlands 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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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