WORLD – A report issued by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on global higher education trends shows that the number of students enrolled in higher education worldwide has more than doubled over the past twenty years, reaching 269 million students in 2024.
According to the report, international student mobility has also increased significantly, with the number of international students tripling over the same period to around 7.3 million, half of whom are concentrated in Europe and North America.
The report also indicates that women now outnumber men in higher education globally, with 114 women for every 100 men in 2024. However, they remain underrepresented at the doctoral level and hold only about a quarter of leadership positions in academia.
Despite this expansion, significant geographical disparities remain. Enrollment rates vary widely across regions: 80% of youth in Western Europe and North America, compared to 59% in Latin America and the Caribbean, 37% in Arab states, 30% in South and West Asia, and only 9% in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The report also notes that private higher education institutions account for about one-third of global student enrollment, with higher rates in Latin America and the Caribbean, where 49% of students are enrolled in private institutions. In countries such as Brazil, Japan, and South Korea, four out of five students attend private higher education institutions.
Regarding educational quality, the report highlights that completion rates have not improved significantly, rising only from 22% in 2013 to 27% in 2024.
On funding, average government expenditure on higher education globally stands at around 0.8% of GDP, placing increasing pressure on institutions and pushing for more sustainable financing models.
The report also warns of ongoing challenges faced by marginalized groups and refugees in accessing higher education, despite some progress in inclusion policies.
In this context, UNESCO emphasizes the need to develop innovative education and financing models, strengthen international cooperation, expand recognition of academic qualifications, and leverage digital transformation and artificial intelligence to ensure more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable higher education systems.
