Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Australia
Australia: Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions was 58.5% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
58.5%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
51st
of 149 countries
All-time high
58.8%
in 2022
All-time low
56.3%
in 2018
Years of data
10
2015–2024
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 58.5%.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Australia peaked at 58.8% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 56.3%, in 2018.
Australia ranks 51st of 149 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 57.3% | — |
| 2016 | 57.4% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 57.5% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 56.3% | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 56.8% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 57.6% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 58.6% | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 58.8% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 58.4% | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 58.5% | +0.1% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 58.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 57.0%, 1.0× the median. (61 countries reporting)
- Australia's 58.5% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 56.8%, 1.0× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 57.1% | 56.3% | 57.5% | 5 |
| 2020s | 58.4% | 57.6% | 58.8% | 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 58.5% 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 58.8% in 2022.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.3% in 2018.
- How does Australia rank for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions?
- Australia ranks 51st out of 149 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 up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- 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, female (%). 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