UNESCO launches first Higher Education Global Trends Report

UNESCO IESALC recently published its first Higher education global trends report, building on data from the Higher Education Policy Observatory (HEPO) and UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). Launched in May 2026, the report explores key trends in higher education systems worldwide across multiple themes ranging from student enrollment to funding and expenditure, digitalization and AI; and with a specific spotlight on international student mobility.

The data reveals significant progress alongside persistent structural gaps:

• Global enrolment has more than doubled over two decades, reaching 269 million students in 2024, yet enrolment rates range from 80% in Western Europe and Northern America to only 9% in sub-Saharan Africa. 
• Completion has not kept pace with expansion either, with the global graduation ratio rising only from 22% in 2013 to 27% in 2024.
• Internationally mobile students have tripled since 2000, reaching 7.3 million in 2023. However, mobility still benefits fewer than 3% of students globally.
• Progress on gender equality is mixed. Women now outnumber men in higher education but remain underrepresented at doctoral level and hold only about one quarter of senior academic leadership roles. 
• Refugee enrolment reached only 9% in 2025, with the recognition of qualifications remaining a key barrier to access. 
• Government investment in higher education averages 0.8% of GDP globally
• Only one in five universities had a formal AI policy as of 2025.

This report is the first flagship publication to draw on the HEPO, a global platform that brings together over 50 policy and statistical indicators to support evidence-based policymaking and reform. 

Access and read the Higher education global trends report

Access the UNESCO press release for the report launch.

Explore country profiles and world overviews on the Higher Education Policy Observatory