Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in India

India: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male was 17.65 million number in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
17.65 million number
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
2nd
of 187 countries
All-time high
17.65 million number
in 2019
All-time low
1.95 million number
in 1971
Years of data
39
1971–2019

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in India, 1971–2019

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M1971199520191971: 1.9M number1973: 2.2M number1976: 2.3M number1977: 2.3M number1978: 2.4M number1979: 2.4M number1980: 2.4M number1981: 2.6M number1982: 2.5M number1983: 2.8M number1984: 3.0M number1985: 3.0M number1986: 3.1M number1987: 3.4M number1988: 2.9M number1989: 3.1M number1990: 3.2M number1991: 3.3M number1995: 3.2M number1996: 3.6M number1997: 3.9M number2000: 5.9M number2001: 6.0M number2002: 6.4M number2003: 7.0M number2004: 7.3M number2005: 7.1M number2006: 7.7M number2007: 9.0M number2009: 11.2M number2010: 12.4M number2011: 15.5M number2013: 15.2M number2014: 16.0M number2015: 17.0M number2016: 17.0M number2017: 17.3M number2018: 17.6M number2019: 17.7M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in India is 17.65 million number, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 57.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in India peaked at 17.65 million number in 2019 and was at its lowest, 1.95 million number, in 1971.

That places India 2nd out of 187 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in India, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) in India, 1971 to 2019.
Year number Change
1971 1.95 million number
1973 2.18 million number +12.2%
1976 2.33 million number +6.9%
1977 2.27 million number -2.8%
1978 2.38 million number +4.8%
1979 2.38 million number +0.0%
1980 2.44 million number +2.4%
1981 2.61 million number +7.2%
1982 2.46 million number -5.7%
1983 2.83 million number +14.9%
1984 3.04 million number +7.5%
1985 3.02 million number -0.6%
1986 3.13 million number +3.7%
1987 3.38 million number +7.7%
1988 2.93 million number -13.2%
1989 3.09 million number +5.5%
1990 3.23 million number +4.5%
1991 3.31 million number +2.6%
1995 3.23 million number -2.4%
1996 3.64 million number +12.6%
1997 3.86 million number +6.0%
2000 5.85 million number +51.5%
2001 6.03 million number +3.1%
2002 6.44 million number +6.8%
2003 6.95 million number +7.9%
2004 7.33 million number +5.4%
2005 7.14 million number -2.6%
2006 7.72 million number +8.2%
2007 9.05 million number +17.1%
2009 11.23 million number +24.1%
2010 12.44 million number +10.8%
2011 15.52 million number +24.7%
2013 15.23 million number -1.9%
2014 16.04 million number +5.3%
2015 16.95 million number +5.7%
2016 17.02 million number +0.4%
2017 17.32 million number +1.8%
2018 17.60 million number +1.6%
2019 17.65 million number +0.3%

India compared with similar countries

  • India's 17.65 million number is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 98,239 number, 179.7× the median. (42 countries reporting)
  • India's 17.65 million number is above the median for South Asia, which is 165,723 number, 106.5× the median. (6 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in India changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2000 +51.5% 3.86 million number 5.85 million number

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 2.25 million number 1.95 million number 2.38 million number 6
1980s 2.89 million number 2.44 million number 3.38 million number 10
1990s 3.46 million number 3.23 million number 3.86 million number 5
2000s 7.53 million number 5.85 million number 11.23 million number 9
2010s 16.20 million number 12.44 million number 17.65 million number 9

Countries ranked near India

  1. 1 China 22.61 million number compare
  2. 3 United States 8.22 million number compare
  3. 4 Turkey 4.05 million number compare
  4. 5 Indonesia 3.82 million number compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More reference data data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in India?
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in India was 17.65 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 17.65 million number in 2019.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 1.95 million number in 1971.
How does India rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male?
India ranks 2nd out of 187 countries with data for 2019.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is up 57.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this India data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in India. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-all-programmes-male-number/india/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
232 places, 7,125 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

The total number of male students enrolled at public and private tertiary education institutions.