Higher education participation and enrolment has expanded considerably over the past century. The number of students enrolled in higher education by 2030 is forecast to rise from 99.4 million in 2000 to 414.2 million in 2030 – an increase of 314 per cent.

This growth is being fuelled by the transformation that we are witnessing in the developing and emerging regions and countries of the world.

North America and Western Europe traditionally had the greatest share of global enrolments. By 2035, student enrolments in North America and Western Europe are projected to be 52 million. Countries with the largest number of enrolments are the United States (projected to remain in the world’s top 10 by 2035), Germany (top 20 by 2035) and the United Kingdom (top 30 by 2035).

Central and Eastern Europe
Given the strategic geopolitical position of Central and Eastern Europe, this is a region that is often referred to as an emerging hub for the provision of educational services. Up to the end of the first decade of the 21st century it was ranked as the third global region with the highest volume of enrolments in tertiary education.

Russia, Turkey and Romania are projected to be in the world’s top 10 countries in terms of the volume of enrolments, and Ukraine is projected to be in the world’s top 20 countries.