Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions was 53.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Saudi Arabia, 2000–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 53.1% for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in 2024. That is the highest value across all 20 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.6% on the previous year and up 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Saudi Arabia peaked at 53.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 44.1%, in 2000.
That places Saudi Arabia 30th out of 149 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 44.1% | — |
| 2001 | 45.1% | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 44.1% | -2.1% |
| 2007 | 45.0% | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 45.0% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 45.0% | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 47.4% | +5.4% |
| 2011 | 48.6% | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 50.7% | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 52.1% | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 51.5% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 51.1% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 51.3% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 52.1% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 50.7% | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 50.4% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 50.1% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 52.2% | +4.2% |
| 2022 | 49.8% | -4.6% |
| 2024 | 53.1% | +6.6% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 53.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 43.0%, 1.2× the median. (61 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 53.1% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 42.0%, 1.3× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 44.7% | 44.1% | 45.1% | 6 |
| 2010s | 50.6% | 47.4% | 52.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.3% | 49.8% | 53.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 27 Côte d'Ivoire 54.7% compare
- 28 Cameroon 53.3% compare
- 29 Bangladesh 53.2% compare
- 31 San Marino 52.7% compare
- 32 Cambodia 52.0% compare
- 33 Madagascar 51.4% compare
More education data for Saudi Arabia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 242,375 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 26,900 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 215,559 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 214,840 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.36 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.45 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.53 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0976 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Saudi Arabia?
- Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Saudi Arabia was 53.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 53.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.1% in 2000.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 30th out of 149 countries with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release