Countries With the Lowest Tertiary Enrollment
Every country with a figure for tertiary enrollment, ranked from lowest to highest. The top three are Suriname (2.57%), Malawi (2.71%) and Central African Republic (2.78%). The middle country of the 185 has 43.8%.
What this measures
School enrollment, tertiary (% gross). Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. For this measure, higher is better.
The full ranking
Each country’s latest figure, from 2010–2025. The year beside each value says when it was measured.
| Rank | Country | Tertiary enrollment | Year | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suriname | 2.57% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 2 | Malawi | 2.71% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 3 | Central African Republic | 2.78% | 2012 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 4 | Eritrea | 3.2% | 2016 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 5 | Zambia | 3.96% | 2012 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 6 | Tanzania | 4.02% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 7 | Niger | 4.15% | 2019 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 8 | Chad | 4.4% | 2020 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 9 | Uganda | 4.62% | 2014 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 10 | Kiribati | 4.96% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 11 | Mali | 5.13% | 2015 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 12 | Djibouti | 5.16% | 2011 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 13 | Ethiopia | 5.92% | 2014 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 14 | Mauritania | 5.97% | 2020 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 15 | Madagascar | 6.15% | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 16 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 6.38% | 2020 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 17 | Burundi | 6.38% | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 18 | Eswatini | 6.44% | 2013 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 19 | Mozambique | 7.46% | 2018 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 20 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 7.65% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 21 | Zimbabwe | 7.75% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 22 | Yemen, Rep. | 8.81% | 2011 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 23 | Rwanda | 9.41% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 24 | Nigeria | 9.74% | 2011 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 25 | Lesotho | 9.94% | 2018 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 26 | Angola | 9.95% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 27 | Burkina Faso | 10% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 28 | Benin | 10.2% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 29 | Congo, Rep. | 10.4% | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 30 | Kenya | 10.4% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 31 | Liberia | 10.8% | 2012 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 32 | Afghanistan | 10.9% | 2020 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 33 | Guinea | 10.9% | 2014 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 34 | Pakistan | 10.9% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 35 | Cote d'Ivoire | 12.3% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 36 | Sao Tome and Principe | 12.8% | 2015 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 37 | Bhutan | 13% | 2024 | South Asia |
| 38 | Gambia, The | 13.5% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 39 | Aruba | 14.1% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 40 | Seychelles | 14.5% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 41 | Lao PDR | 14.9% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 42 | Togo | 14.9% | 2020 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 43 | St. Lucia | 15% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 44 | Senegal | 15.3% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 45 | Sudan | 15.9% | 2015 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 46 | Samoa | 16% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 47 | Cameroon | 16.7% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 48 | Bermuda | 17.3% | 2023 | North America |
| 49 | Comoros | 18.8% | 2017 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 50 | Tuvalu | 19.4% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 51 | Myanmar | 20.4% | 2018 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 52 | Turkmenistan | 20.4% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 53 | Sri Lanka | 20.7% | 2023 | South Asia |
| 54 | Nepal | 21.3% | 2024 | South Asia |
| 55 | Ghana | 21.3% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 56 | Botswana | 21.4% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 57 | Cambodia | 21.4% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 58 | Luxembourg | 22.4% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 59 | Curacao | 23.1% | 2013 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 60 | Honduras | 23.3% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 61 | South Africa | 23.5% | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 62 | Bangladesh | 23.7% | 2024 | South Asia |
| 63 | Trinidad and Tobago | 23.8% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 64 | Cabo Verde | 24.3% | 2018 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 65 | Belize | 24.8% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 66 | Antigua and Barbuda | 25.1% | 2012 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 67 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 25.3% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 68 | Namibia | 26.1% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 69 | Jamaica | 26.2% | 2015 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 70 | Guyana | 26.4% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 71 | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | 26.7% | 2018 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 72 | Guatemala | 27.3% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 73 | British Virgin Islands | 29.6% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 74 | Nicaragua | 30.4% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 75 | Timor-Leste | 31% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 76 | El Salvador | 32.8% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 77 | India | 34.4% | 2025 | South Asia |
| 78 | Tajikistan | 35.6% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 79 | Jordan | 35.9% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 80 | Brunei Darussalam | 36.4% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 81 | Viet Nam | 37.6% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 82 | Paraguay | 37.6% | 2010 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 83 | Marshall Islands | 37.7% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 84 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 38% | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 85 | Tunisia | 38.1% | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 86 | Malaysia | 38.5% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 87 | Azerbaijan | 41.3% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 88 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 41.5% | 2022 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 89 | Oman | 42.2% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 90 | Tonga | 42.9% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 91 | Qatar | 43% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 92 | Cuba | 43.1% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 93 | Syrian Arab Republic | 43.8% | 2016 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 94 | West Bank and Gaza | 44.5% | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 95 | Indonesia | 44.9% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 96 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 45.5% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 97 | Mauritius | 45.8% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 98 | Liechtenstein | 46% | 2021 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 99 | Philippines | 47.4% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 100 | Morocco | 48.2% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 101 | Mexico | 48.2% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 102 | Maldives | 48.5% | 2022 | South Asia |
| 103 | Thailand | 49.1% | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 104 | Barbados | 50.8% | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 105 | Kuwait | 51.9% | 2021 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 106 | Armenia | 52.8% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 107 | Kazakhstan | 52.9% | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 108 | Panama | 53.7% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 109 | Kyrgyz Republic | 53.9% | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 110 | Lebanon | 54.4% | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 111 | Algeria | 54.4% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 112 | Slovak Republic | 54.5% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 113 | North Macedonia | 55% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 114 | Costa Rica | 55% | 2019 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 115 | Romania | 55.2% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 116 | Montenegro | 55.2% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 117 | Israel | 56.3% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 118 | San Marino | 57.5% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 119 | Dominican Republic | 57.7% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 120 | Bahrain | 58.4% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 121 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 58.7% | 2022 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 122 | Colombia | 59.3% | 2022 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 123 | Uzbekistan | 59.8% | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 124 | Russian Federation | 60.4% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 125 | Hungary | 60.5% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 126 | United Arab Emirates | 63.7% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 127 | Japan | 64.5% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 128 | Estonia | 65.7% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 129 | Czechia | 66.7% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 130 | Andorra | 67.7% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 131 | Ecuador | 67.9% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 132 | Mongolia | 69% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 133 | Bulgaria | 69.5% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 134 | Brazil | 69.7% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 135 | Belarus | 70.1% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 136 | Serbia | 70.6% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 137 | Peru | 71.2% | 2017 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 138 | France | 71.5% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 139 | Palau | 71.8% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 140 | Switzerland | 73.5% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 141 | Moldova | 74.7% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 142 | Fiji | 75% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 143 | Lithuania | 75.6% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 144 | Italy | 75.9% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 145 | Canada | 76.3% | 2023 | North America |
| 146 | Iceland | 76.5% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 147 | Germany | 76.7% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 148 | China | 76.9% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 149 | New Zealand | 77.2% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 150 | Monaco | 77.5% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 151 | Ireland | 77.6% | 2022 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 152 | Portugal | 77.7% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 153 | Puerto Rico (US) | 77.9% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 154 | Denmark | 79% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 155 | United States | 79.4% | 2022 | North America |
| 156 | Uruguay | 80% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 157 | Slovenia | 80.1% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 158 | United Kingdom | 80.4% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 159 | Malta | 80.5% | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 160 | Poland | 80.9% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 161 | Croatia | 81.2% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 162 | Belgium | 82.1% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 163 | Latvia | 82.9% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 164 | Saudi Arabia | 83.9% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 165 | Sweden | 84% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 166 | Albania | 84.1% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 167 | Netherlands | 86.6% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 168 | Ukraine | 87.2% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 169 | Georgia | 89.5% | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 170 | Austria | 92.6% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 171 | Spain | 93.8% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 172 | St. Kitts and Nevis | 93.9% | 2015 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 173 | Norway | 95.5% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 174 | Singapore | 97.3% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 175 | Grenada | 100% | 2018 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 176 | Turkiye | 106% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 177 | Argentina | 108% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 178 | Australia | 108% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 179 | Chile | 110% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 180 | Finland | 110% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 181 | Korea, Rep. | 112% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 182 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 120% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 183 | Cyprus | 121% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 184 | Macao SAR, China | 142% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 185 | Greece | 165% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
More on tertiary enrollment
- Countries With the Highest Tertiary Enrollment
- Tertiary enrollment by country: trend over time and what it goes with
Related rankings
- Countries With the Lowest PISA Maths
- Countries With the Lowest PISA Reading
- Countries With the Lowest PISA Science
- Countries With the Lowest Primary Completion
- Countries With the Lowest Expected Schooling
- Countries With the Lowest Mean Years of Schooling
- Countries With the Lowest Education Spending
- Countries With the Lowest Primary Enrollment
A ranking describes countries, not the people in them, and a high or low place does not by itself say why. All country rankings.