The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has revealed that women now outnumber men in higher education globally, although significant disparities in access, completion, and leadership remain across regions.
The findings were contained in UNESCO’s first-ever report on global trends in higher education released on Tuesday, which examined data from 146 countries.
According to the report, in 2024 there were 114 women enrolled in higher education for every 100 men worldwide, with gender parity achieved in all regions except sub-Saharan Africa.
It also noted significant progress in Central and South Asia, where the ratio has improved from 68 women per 100 men in 2000 to full parity by 2023.
Despite the gains in enrolment, women remain underrepresented at the doctoral level and occupy only about a quarter of leadership positions in academic institutions globally.
The report further showed a major expansion in higher education worldwide, with enrolment rising from about 100 million students in 2000 to 269 million in 2024.
However, UNESCO highlighted wide regional inequalities. While about 80 percent of young people in Western Europe and North America are enrolled in higher education, the figure drops to 59 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean, 37 percent in Arab States, 30 percent in South and West Asia, and just nine percent in sub-Saharan Africa.
UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany said the growing demand for higher education underscores its importance in building sustainable societies, but warned that expansion alone does not guarantee equal access.
He stressed the need for innovative funding models to ensure inclusivity and quality across systems.
The report also found that international student mobility has more than tripled in two decades, rising from 2.1 million in 2000 to nearly 7.3 million in 2023, although only about three percent of students worldwide currently benefit from studying abroad.
It noted that seven countries—the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Canada, Russia, and France—host about half of all international students globally, while Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are emerging as growing destinations.
On financing, UNESCO reported that private institutions now account for about one-third of global enrolment, with the highest share recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean at 49 percent.
The organisation also noted that only one-third of countries legally guarantee free public higher education, while government spending on the sector averages just 0.8 percent of global GDP.
Despite rising enrolment, global graduation rates have grown slowly, increasing from 22 percent in 2013 to 27 percent in 2024.
On refugee education, the report showed improvement in enrolment from one percent in 2019 to nine percent in 2025, but noted ongoing challenges, particularly in the recognition of qualifications where documentation is missing.
UNESCO said it is addressing this through its Qualifications Passport initiative, currently being implemented in countries including Iraq, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The report also raised concerns about quality assurance amid rapid expansion, noting that while digital technologies and artificial intelligence are reshaping learning globally, only one in five universities had a formal AI policy as of 2025.