Females surpass males in university enrollment worldwide, according to UNESCO report

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation has observed a global shift in higher education, with women now outnumbering men, although regional disparities in access and completion rates persist, according to its first report on global trends in higher education released on Tuesday.

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This report reveals that, as of 2024, there were 114 women enrolled in higher education for every 100 men globally, with gender parity achieved in all regions except sub-Saharan Africa, where inequalities remain.

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Notably, Central and South Asia have made significant strides, moving from 68 women enrolled for every 100 men in 2000 to achieving gender parity in 2023, highlighting the progress made in these regions.

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Despite this progress, women remain underrepresented at the doctoral level, holding only about a quarter of leadership positions in academia, as highlighted by UNESCO.

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The number of students enrolled in higher education worldwide has more than doubled over the last two decades, rising from approximately 100 million in 2000 to 269 million in 2024, according to the report.

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The report, which covered data from 146 countries, exposed significant regional disparities in access to higher education, with enrollment rates varying widely across different regions.

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For instance, while about 80 per cent of young people in Western Europe and North America are enrolled in higher education, the figure stands at 59 per cent in Latin America and the Caribbean, 37 per cent in the Arab States region, 30 per cent in South and West Asia, and only nine per cent in sub-Saharan Africa.

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UNESCO Director-General, Khaled El-Enany, emphasized the importance of higher education in building sustainable societies, stating that the growing demand for higher education underscores its irreplaceable role.

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El-Enany noted that, despite the expansion of higher education, equal opportunities are not always available, highlighting the need for innovative funding models to provide quality and inclusive higher education.

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The report also found that international student mobility has more than tripled over the last 20 years, increasing from 2.1 million students in 2000 to nearly 7.3 million in 2023, although only three per cent of the world’s student population currently benefits from international mobility opportunities.

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Seven countries — the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Canada, Russia, and France — host half of all international students globally, while countries such as Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are becoming increasingly popular destinations for international students.

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Private institutions account for about one-third of the global student population, with Latin America and the Caribbean recording the highest share at 49 per cent in 2023, according to the report.

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Only one-third of countries legally guarantee free public higher education, highlighting the need for increased investment in this area.

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Despite growth in enrolment, the report noted that graduation rates have not increased at the same pace, with the global gross graduation rate rising from 22 per cent in 2013 to 27 per cent in 2024.

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On refugees’ access to higher education, UNESCO noted that major barriers remain, despite an increase in enrolment rates from one per cent in 2019 to nine per cent in 2025, with difficulties in recognising qualifications being a major challenge.

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UNESCO is addressing this issue through its Qualifications Passport initiative, currently being implemented in Iraq, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

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The organisation also warned that funding pressures and the rapid expansion of higher education systems are straining quality standards globally, with government investment in higher education representing an average of 0.8 per cent of global GDP.

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Additionally, digital technologies and artificial intelligence are increasingly transforming teaching and learning, but only one in five universities had a formal AI policy as of 2025, highlighting the need for increased investment in this area.