School age population, tertiary education, both sexes (number) in France
France: School age population, tertiary education, both sexes (number) was 4.02 million in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
4.02 million
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
31st
of 221 countries
All-time high
4.12 million
in 2008
All-time low
3.83 million
in 2016
Years of data
24
2001–2024
School age population, tertiary education, both sexes in France, 2001–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
France recorded 4.02 million for school age population, tertiary education, both sexes in 2024.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and up 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, tertiary education, both sexes in France peaked at 4.12 million in 2008 and was at its lowest, 3.83 million, in 2016.
That places France 31st out of 221 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
School age population, tertiary education, both sexes (number) in France, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 4.03 million | — |
| 2002 | 4.04 million | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 4.05 million | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 4.04 million | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 4.06 million | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 4.09 million | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 4.12 million | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 4.12 million | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 4.12 million | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 4.09 million | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 4.06 million | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 3.97 million | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 3.91 million | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 3.88 million | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 3.86 million | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 3.83 million | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 3.85 million | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 3.88 million | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 3.96 million | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 3.99 million | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 4.02 million | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 4.03 million | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 4.05 million | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 4.02 million | -0.6% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 4.02 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 247,364, 16.3× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- France's 4.02 million is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 368,415, 10.9× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.07 million | 4.03 million | 4.12 million | 9 |
| 2010s | 3.93 million | 3.83 million | 4.09 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.02 million | 3.99 million | 4.05 million | 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 school age population, tertiary education, both sexes in France?
- School age population, tertiary education, both sexes in France was 4.02 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, tertiary education, both sexes recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 4.12 million in 2008.
- What is the lowest school age population, tertiary education, both sexes recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.83 million in 2016.
- How does France rank for school age population, tertiary education, both sexes?
- France ranks 31st out of 221 countries with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, tertiary education, both sexes rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School age population, tertiary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release