Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Australia
Australia: Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions was 41.5% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
41.5%
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
99th
of 149 countries
All-time high
43.7%
in 2018
All-time low
41.2%
in 2022
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 41.5%.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Australia peaked at 43.7% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 41.2%, in 2022.
Australia ranks 99th 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 | 42.7% | — |
| 2016 | 42.6% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 42.5% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 43.7% | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 43.2% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 42.4% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 41.4% | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 41.2% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 41.6% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 41.5% | -0.1% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 41.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 43.0%, 96% of the median. (61 countries reporting)
- Australia's 41.5% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 43.2%, 96% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 42.9% | 42.5% | 43.7% | 5 |
| 2020s | 41.6% | 41.2% | 42.4% | 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 41.5% 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 43.7% in 2018.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.2% in 2022.
- How does Australia rank for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions?
- Australia ranks 99th 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 down 2.8%. 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, male (%). 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