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UIS · Tertiary Enrolment Ratio
Tertiary enrolment by country
How many people are enrolled in higher education?
Macau placed first of the 95 countries compared in 2024, at 141.86%, and Suriname last, at 2.57%. In the middle country the figure was 52.77%.
Part ofEducation & Knowledge
Tertiary enrolment · 2024
Context statistic
Highest of 95Macau
141.86%012024 · position · derived
Who leads
The three countries at the highest end of 95 compared, the three at the other end, and the first on each continent.
1Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
3Photo: Base64 and Derivative work by Globe-trotter · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
02Every measured country
Tertiary enrolment on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value — the better end.
- 2.57–20.43%
- 21.29–38.50%
- 41.34–57.65%
- 58.37–76.88%
- 77.24–141.86%
- No reading in 2024 (111 measured in an earlier edition)
- Europe
75.16%
the middle country, of 26 measured · 49 members
Finland110.30%
Luxembourg22.41%Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Oceania
54.76%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 21 members
Australia108.42%
Kiribati4.96%Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Asia
46.20%
the middle country, of 30 measured · 52 members
Macau141.86%
Pakistan10.86%Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Americas
31.20%
the middle country, of 14 measured · 48 members
Chile110.18%
Suriname2.57%Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Africa
14.53%
the middle country, of 17 measured · 55 members
Algeria54.43%
Tanzania4.02%Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Every region
21 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Eastern Asia
111.85%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 8 members
Macau141.86%
Mongolia69.04%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Northern Europe
82.92%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 13 members
Finland110.30%
Estonia65.67%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Western Europe
75.13%
the middle country, of 6 measured · 9 members
Austria92.61%Luxembourg22.41%Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Southern Europe
70.58%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 17 members
Spain93.77%
San Marino57.55%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Eastern Europe
69.83%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 10 members
Ukraine87.19%
Slovakia54.47%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Western Asia
54.52%
the middle country, of 10 measured · 19 members
Cyprus120.88%
Jordan35.92%Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Central Asia
53.17%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Uzbekistan56.52%
Turkmenistan20.43%Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- South-eastern Asia
38.50%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 11 members
Philippines47.41%
Cambodia21.44%Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Caribbean
36.33%
the middle country, of 6 measured · 24 members
Dominican Republic57.65%
Aruba14.07%Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Southern Asia
21.29%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 9 members
India34.42%Pakistan10.86%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Western Africa
13.48%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 16 members
Ghana21.33%
Burkina Faso10.04%Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- Eastern Africa
9.92%
the middle country, of 6 measured · 19 members
Mauritius45.78%Tanzania4.02%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
Australia108.42%
New Zealand77.24%Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Central America
4 of 8 measured — too few for a middle: Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico.
Mexico48.20%
Honduras23.32%Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Melanesia
1 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Fiji.
Fiji75.01%Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Micronesia
3 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau.
Palau71.84%Kiribati4.96%Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.
- Middle Africa
2 of 9 measured — too few for a middle: Angola, Cameroon.
Cameroon16.66%
Angola9.95%Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- Northern Africa
3 of 6 measured — too few for a middle: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco.
Algeria54.43%
Egypt37.58%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Polynesia
2 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Cook Islands, Samoa.
Samoa16.03%
Cook Islands12.49%Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.
- South America
4 of 12 measured — too few for a middle: Brazil, Chile, Guyana, Suriname.
Chile110.18%Suriname2.57%Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Southern Africa
1 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Botswana.
Botswana21.41%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
03The whole field at once
The spread
95 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 52.77%; a quarter are above 74.13%, and a quarter below 22.86%. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 206 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. “=” marks a position shared with another country. UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) ranks nobody on this measure; the position is derived here by ordering the published values. This is a gross ratio, so it can pass 100%: mature students, repeaters and students from abroad all count against the home age group. A figure above 100 does not mean everyone is enrolled.
Showing 25 of 206 countries
Values for 2024. The change column compares 2024 with 2023 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
051971–2024 · 52 editions
Over time
Each point is one year of UNESCO Institute for Statistics data. Coverage varies from year to year, so a country’s line can have gaps where it did not report.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 95 | 52.77% | 22.86% – 74.13% |
| 2023 | 129 | 53.69% | 25.15% – 76.88% |
| 2022 | 126 | 55.11% | 31.52% – 76.79% |
| 2021 | 125 | 55.27% | 30.45% – 76.70% |
| 2020 | 133 | 53.38% | 25.94% – 72.39% |
| 2019 | 132 | 50.19% | 24.55% – 72.71% |
| 2018 | 134 | 50.03% | 22.69% – 71.80% |
| 2017 | 137 | 49.18% | 21.48% – 70.75% |
| 2016 | 136 | 49.26% | 23.42% – 69.33% |
| 2015 | 148 | 45.42% | 18.17% – 66.63% |
| 2014 | 138 | 44.54% | 17.42% – 65.46% |
| 2013 | 132 | 40.93% | 17.38% – 64.09% |
| 2012 | 144 | 36.87% | 13.28% – 60.40% |
| 2011 | 139 | 34.23% | 11.65% – 60.11% |
| 2010 | 137 | 32.74% | 12.20% – 59.03% |
| 2009 | 131 | 32.92% | 10.47% – 56.81% |
| 2008 | 128 | 32.96% | 10.91% – 54.57% |
| 2007 | 120 | 30.90% | 10.30% – 55.37% |
| 2006 | 123 | 26.25% | 8.56% – 48.96% |
| 2005 | 123 | 24.48% | 7.97% – 48.21% |
| 2004 | 126 | 24.15% | 8.46% – 44.27% |
| 2003 | 127 | 20.75% | 8.16% – 42.62% |
| 2002 | 126 | 22.19% | 8.45% – 41.27% |
| 2001 | 115 | 21.80% | 7.43% – 41.71% |
| 2000 | 91 | 15.39% | 4.19% – 31.66% |
| 1999 | 91 | 11.03% | 2.89% – 24.11% |
| 1996 | 62 | 10.71% | 2.38% – 21.85% |
| 1995 | 67 | 10.08% | 2.77% – 19.95% |
| 1994 | 60 | 10.18% | 2.63% – 18.95% |
| 1993 | 67 | 9.12% | 2.60% – 18.14% |
| 1992 | 75 | 8.96% | 2.14% – 18.56% |
| 1991 | 77 | 8.36% | 2.39% – 20.87% |
| 1990 | 80 | 7.29% | 2.20% – 17.10% |
| 1989 | 80 | 6.34% | 2.00% – 17.46% |
| 1988 | 74 | 7.13% | 2.46% – 17.63% |
| 1987 | 78 | 5.45% | 1.99% – 15.18% |
| 1986 | 88 | 5.73% | 2.19% – 18.04% |
| 1985 | 82 | 5.04% | 1.45% – 14.78% |
| 1984 | 83 | 4.76% | 1.46% – 12.99% |
| 1983 | 77 | 4.68% | 1.50% – 16.12% |
| 1982 | 80 | 4.77% | 1.59% – 17.00% |
| 1981 | 89 | 4.72% | 1.43% – 16.72% |
| 1980 | 77 | 2.93% | 0.97% – 11.15% |
| 1979 | 77 | 2.50% | 1.14% – 8.78% |
| 1978 | 72 | 2.30% | 0.93% – 7.90% |
| 1977 | 74 | 2.47% | 0.96% – 7.33% |
| 1976 | 71 | 2.15% | 0.78% – 7.38% |
| 1975 | 71 | 2.11% | 0.73% – 7.21% |
| 1974 | 69 | 1.86% | 0.67% – 5.68% |
| 1973 | 72 | 1.78% | 0.78% – 5.14% |
| 1972 | 69 | 1.76% | 0.77% – 4.95% |
| 1971 | 80 | 1.51% | 0.50% – 4.90% |
062023 → 2024
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Improved most
before → after84 countries were measured in both 2023 and 2024. The field changed from 129 to 95 countries, so a place can move for reasons that have nothing to do with the country itself.
07Across every edition
Tertiary enrolment in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
166.39%
Gross enrolment ratio, tertiary (%)
Lowest reading on record
Reached 10 times by 6 countries — shared, so no holder is named
0.00%
Gross enrolment ratio, tertiary (%)
Biggest improvement between editions
+39.81
53.92% → 93.73%
Biggest decline between editions
−33.34
93.73% → 60.39%
Most improved since first measured
+99.26
21.61% → 120.88%
At the top most often
27 of 52
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08By sex
Inside the number
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) also publishes separate female and male readings. The gap between them, where both exist.
Of the 95 countries with both readings, the female reading is higher in 83, the male reading in 12. The widest gaps each way:
09The measure
About tertiary enrolment
The tertiary enrolment ratio counts everyone enrolled in universities and other tertiary education, at any age, against the population of the usual five-year university age band. It is UNESCO’s standard measure of access to higher education.
What the number is: Gross enrolment ratio, tertiary (%).
10Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Education & Knowledge, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Moves with
Where tertiary enrolment is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- Human Capital IndexWorld Bank Group · 84 countries in commonρ 0.82
- Expected Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 91 countries in commonρ 0.80
- Human Development IndexKeyUNDP Human Development Report Office · 90 countries in commonρ 0.79
Moves against
Where tertiary enrolment is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Gender Inequality IndexKeyUNDP Human Development Report Office · 81 countries in commonρ −0.81
- Under-Five Mortality RateKeyUN IGME · 92 countries in commonρ −0.76
- Maternal Mortality RatioKeyMMEIG · 91 countries in commonρ −0.71
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 69 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
11Keep reading
Explore further
The subject
12Questions
Tertiary enrolment: questions and answers
Which country has the highest tertiary enrolment?
Macau, at 141.86%, among the 95 countries compared in 2024.
Which country has the lowest tertiary enrolment?
Suriname, at 2.57%, among the 95 countries compared in 2024.
How many countries does the Tertiary Enrolment Ratio cover?
95 in 2024, and 206 at least once across all editions. The number measured varies from 60 to 148 between editions.
What is the world average tertiary enrolment?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 95 compared in 2024, the figure was 52.77%.
Is this UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)’s own ranking?
No. UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) publishes the values but ranks nobody; the position on this page is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values, and equal values share a position.
How often is the Tertiary Enrolment Ratio published?
This site holds 52 editions, describing 1971 to 2024.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), under CC BY-SA 4.0. From the UNESCO Institute for Statistics data API. Years reporting fewer than 50 countries are left out. Female and male ratios are stored beside the headline. Every edition is available on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, unrounded.
13Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Tertiary Enrolment Ratio — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
From the UNESCO Institute for Statistics data API. Years reporting fewer than 50 countries are left out. Female and male ratios are stored beside the headline.
Newest edition
Report year 2024Data year 2024
Cite the source as: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. UIS Data Browser. Montreal: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0, checked 2026-09-05.
How this page reads the numbers
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) ranks nobody on this measure. The position is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values; equal values share a position.
- Which end is better follows the publisher’s own reading of the measure.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The full note on this data
52 editions (1971–2024), 60 to 148 countries. The number of people enrolled in tertiary education as a share of the population of the standard tertiary age group. Female and male ratios are stored beside the headline figure. ⚠ A GROSS RATIO, SO IT CAN EXCEED 100%. It counts everyone enrolled, at any age, against the population of the five-year age band that would normally be studying — so mature students, repeaters and inbound foreign students all push it up. Macau leads 2024 at 142%, which is not an error and does not mean everyone is enrolled. ⚠ Editions reporting fewer than 50 countries are not written — that drops UIS’s trailing stub year, which opens with a handful of early reporters, and any thin historical year. ⚠ UIS ranks nobody, so no rank is stored; the POSITION on the statistics page is derived here by ordering the score and labelled as ours.
Photographs
The countries at the top of this statistic, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Macau — Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cyprus — Kaktus999, CC0
- Hong Kong — Base64 and Derivative work by Globe-trotter, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Tertiary enrolment by country: Tertiary Enrolment Ratio, data from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/tertiary-enrolment