UNESCO: Number of Higher Education Students More Than Doubled in 20 Years

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) released its first Global Higher Education Trends Report yesterday. The report states that the number of students enrolled in higher education worldwide has more than doubled in the last 20 years, but significant geographical and gender-based inequalities persist. The report, compiled with the latest data from 146 countries, reveals the changes in global participation in higher education over the past 20 years. Accordingly, the number of students enrolled in higher education worldwide increased from approximately 100 million in 2000 to 269 million in 2024. This number corresponds to about 43% of the population of higher education age.

The report also highlights regional disparities in access to higher education. Accordingly, 80% of young people in Western Europe and North America, 59% in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 30% in South and West Asia are enrolled in higher education. In Sub-Saharan Africa, however, this rate remains at only 9%. According to the report, students enrolled in private higher education institutions make up one-third of the total higher education enrollments worldwide. The report emphasizes the increase in international student mobility, noting that the number of students studying abroad rose from 2.1 million in 2000 to approximately 7.3 million in 2023.

The report also includes data on the proportion of female students in global higher education. Accordingly, gender balance has been achieved in all regions except Sub-Saharan Africa. The report also shares that only one-third of countries worldwide have programs supporting access to higher education for disadvantaged groups.