Private and Public Higher Education Shares for 117 countries
(2000-2009) *, **, ***, ****
Last Update: November 2010
Country1
Private % of Total HE
Enrolment
Afghanistan3
12.0
(19,800/164,800)
23.9
(489,039/2,048,876)
26.6
(22,600/85,100)
3.5
(40,000/ N/A)
Albania
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria4
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium4
4.4
14.4
(17,500/121,500)
14.4
(61,108/423,236)
15.2
(58,300/383,400)
55.4
(218,373/394,427)
Year
-
Private % of
Total HEIs
Year
Private % of Total
Univ. Enrolment 2
Year
Private % of
Total Univ.
Year
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2005
54.6
(54/99)
2003
2003
16.5
(254,117/1,539,742)
2004
70.0
(28/40)
53.5
(1,327/2480)
77.3
(68/88)
2004
-
-
-
-
2008
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2003
-
2005/06
44.2
(91,648/207,577)
2005
35.7
(15/42)
48.6
(54/111)
21.8
(12/55)
33.3
(11/33)
2005
2006
-
-
2005
2003
2003/04
Program for Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE)
2005/06
2005
71.6
(53/74)
2005
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Page 1
Benin
20.0
2009
Bhutan
0
-
Bolivia
Bosnia &
Herzegovina
27.8
2004
(N/A /12,200)
28.6
(6,000/21,000)
74.6
(3,639,413/4,880,381)
17.6
(58,380/332,654)
2006/07
58.0
(56,563/97,524)
-
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burundi
Cambodia
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
(400/ N/A)
77.6
(584,722/753,543)
19.9
(4,013,010/20,210,249)
49.6
(600,731/1,212,035)
54.6
(93,730/171,792)
11.3
(16,000/141,000)
2007
2007
2008/09
2006
2003
2007
2008
2005
2004
2008
Program for Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE)
96.4
(27/28)
1999
-
-
-
-
-
2003
0
70.2
(40/57)
-
2004
0
18.2
(56,764/312,769)
2005
2006
-
-
-
-
2007
-
2008/09
(1/ N/A)
67.0
(203/303)
16.3
(7/43)
2007
2008/09
66.9
(2,224,824/3,325,125)
15.9
(39,107/246,523)
(4/ N/A)
64.5
(40/62)
2002
-
-
2006
-
-
(2/ N/A)
92.8
(205/221)
28.3
(640/2,263)
70.6
(197/279)
47.1
(57/121)
57.1
(28/49)
2003
66.9
(340,702/509,523)
-
0
75.9
(1,530/2,015)
73.3
(22/30)
85.7
(6/7)
89.1
(2,032/2,281)
30.2
(16/53)
2007
2005
2008
2007
2007
2008
2004
0
56.2
(506,137/900,435)
53.4
(86,951/162,925)
2008
-
2007
69.2
(18/26)
73.8
(45/61)
2007
2008/09
2004
2007
2008
2004
0
67.8
(116/171)
92.6
(50/54)
-
-
-
2005
2007
2004
Page 2
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech
Republic
Democratic
Republic of
Congo
Denmark4
Dominican
Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Estonia
Ethiopia
Finland4
France4
Gabon
0.0
(0/908,588)
66.6
(13,712/20,587)
8.9
(29,201/327,955)
81.6
(82,173/100,724)
1.9
(4,367/228,893)
49.7
(160,603/323,439)
28.7
(90,278/314,496)
19.2
(447,000/2,325,000)
66.3
(82,812/124,956)
18.0
(12,315/68,399)
24.0
10.5
(32,393/308,966)
16.6
(364,783/2,201,201)
46.3
(25,000/54,000)
2007
2005/06
2004
80.6
(29/36)
40.1
(95/237)
2004
0.0
(0/4,861)
11.9
(40,939/344,180)
1997/98
(39/ N/A)
-
2006
-
2005/06
2005
2004
2003
2006
2008/09
2003
88.4
(38/43)
58.7
(236/402)
62.6
(109/174)
83.3
(35/42)
52.2
(24/46)
60.0
-
2005/06
2007
0.0
(0/1)
60.0
(42/70)
-
-
-
-
-
0.0
2007/08
0.0
2007/08
2005
50.1
(159,867/319,263)
2005
2004
2005
N/A
2.2
(39,000/1,766,000)
68.5
(79,299/115,715)
2005/06
2003
2006
2006
2006
0.0
4.2
(147/3,500)
2005/06
-
-
0.0
(0/20)
15.5
(13/84)
2003
(3/ N/A)
-
-
-
-
Program for Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE)
-
93.9
(31/33)
56.9
(37/65)
46.4
(13/28)
96.2
(25/26)
0.0
(0/176,555)
2006
2004
2003
2007
2006
-
2007
2005
2004
2005
N/A
2006
2007/08
-
Page 3
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guatemala
Honduras
Hong Kong,
China
Hungary
Iceland4
India
Indonesia
Ireland4
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Japan
19.2
(29,400/153,300)
4.9
(94,285/1,920,102)
11.2
(8,000/71,600)
0.0
48.1
(105,082/218,466)
19.7
(22,018/111,766)
59.0
(127,256/215,637)
13.6
(56,590/416,348)
22.9
(3853/16,853)
30.7
(3,219,000/10,481,000)
71.0
(2,392,417/3,371,156)
7.0
13.1
(26,860/205,149)
7.2
(146,796/2,029,023)
31.0
77.4
2003
2008/09
2004
2005/06
2003
2002
2007/08
2006/07
2005
2005/06
2007
2004
2005/06
2006
2007
Program for Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE)
85.2
(150/176)
34.3
(122/356 )
90.3
(28/31)
0.0
91.7
(11/12)
60.0
(9/15)
54.5
(12/22)
56.3
(40/71)
37.5
(3/8)
43.0
(7,720/17,973)
95.5
(2,766/2,897)
0.0
(0/20)
13.1
(8/61)
20.5
(17/83)
(1/ N/A)
89.6
2003
2008/09
1.2
(15,760/1,339,274)
2008/09
2004
2005/06
0.0
2005/06
2009
-
-
2002
-
2007/08
59.4
(95,238/ 160,295)
2006/07
19.3
(21/109)
2008/09
2005/06
2007/08
0.0
91.7
(11/12)
70.0
(7/10)
22.2
(2/9)
-
-
-
-
2006/07
-
-
-
-
2005/06
-
-
-
2007
-
-
89.0
(372/418)
2005/06
0.0
(0/123,010)
6.2
(110,624/1,780,743)
73.2
-
2005/06
2006/07
2007
2005/06
2006/07
2007
0.0
(0/7)
23.0
(17/74)
76.7
2009
2002
2007/08
2007
2005/06
2006/07
2007
Page 4
(2,924,022/3,776,623)
Jordan5
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People’s
Democratic
Republic
Latvia
Lesotho
Lithuania
The FYR of
Macedonia
Malaysia
Maldives3
Mexico
Moldova
46.5
(347,100/747,100)
17.9
(21,132/118,239)
50.7
(38,000/75,000)
7.2
(15,800/218,300)
32.4
(14,371/44,289)
31.9
(40,713/127,760)
8.5
(16,438/193,928)
17.9
(11,509/64,254)
50.9
(322,891/634,033)
33.4
(745,018/2,232,189)
24.0
(26,500/110,200)
(4,199/4,689)
2004
2008
2004
2004/05
2007/08
2005/06
2007/08
2004
2007
2003
Program for Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE)
71.8
(130/181)
13.1
(17/130)
97.0
(32/33)
32.7
(16/49)
79.5
(31/39)
36.7
(22/60)
72.7
(16/22)
38.8
(19/49)
62.5
(5/8)
97.0
(559/576)
72.7
(1,175/1,617)
44.5
(48/108)
(2,071,642/2,828,635)
-
-
-
2004
-
2004
52.9
(91,541/173,032)
-
(580/756)
58.3
(14/24)
2006
2004/05
74.0
(17/23)
2004
-
-
-
-
2004
-
-
-
-
2005
29.7
(34,172/114,965)
-
-
-
2007/08
0.0
(0/1)
33.3
(7/21)
-
2007/08
2000
2005/06
3.5
(4,992/141,771)
2005/06
2004
-
-
2004
-
7.5
-
2007
2003
-
2000
2005/06
2000
-
39.3
(11/28)
-
2004
-
41.8
2003
72.7
2002
-
-
-
-
Page 5
Mongolia
26.0
2003
Montenegro
(N/A /20,000)
32.1
(7,143/22,256)
0
(0/ N/A)
69.9
(361,177/516,769)
9.3
(23,763/256,468)
47.5
(65,000/136,960)
3.4
(37,636/1,108,199)
0
13.4
(28,434/211,559)
-
Mozambique
Myanmar
Nepal3
Netherlands4
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Nigeria
North Korea
Norway4
Oman6
Pakistan
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
24.7
23.8
(103,466/435,130)
18.3
(24,187/132,167)
41.1
(44,722/108,812)
51.1
(463,801/908,315)
2003
8.3
2003
27.2
2003
-
-
-
-
-
2004
64.2
80.0
(4/5)
50.0
(6/12)
2004
-
-
-
-
2005
-
0
-
2005
-
0
-
2005
-
0
-
2005
-
2002
2006/07
-
-
-
-
2007
0
2007
2003
-
-
2006
-
-
2006/07
0
1.0
(883/87,562)
2006/07
2006
29.9
2006
2007/08
-
-
2004
-
2003
0
90.9
(40/44)
30.7
(23/75)
0
8.3
(1/12)
75.0
(3/ N/A)
42.6
(40/94)
87.5
(28/32)
2007
2003
0.0
85.6
(172/201)
58.5
(69/118)
36.0
(32/89)
0
45.7
(32/70)
88.0
(22/25)
46.0
(57/124)
83.1
(59/71)
2003
-
-
-
2005
-
-
50.3
(263,354/523,359)
2006
2005
2006
2006/07
2006
2007/08
Program for Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE)
2005
59.8
(49/82)
2003
2005
2006/07
2006
2007/08
2004
2005
Page 6
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Saudi
Arabia7
65.2
(1,589,866/2,438,855)
34.1
(660,464/1,937,401)
25.9
(98,664/380,937)
33.8
(265,243/785,506)
14.9
(1,024,000/ 6,884,000)
2007
2004/05
2007
2004
2005
2003
3.7
(20,654/563,062)
27.9
(67,157/241,054)
23.1
(50,576/218,860)
2004
9.9
2000
-
-
2003
2005/06
2004/5
2005/06
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2006
-
-
-
-
2007/08
-
-
-
2003
-
2004/05
-
71.1
(86/121)
84.8
(145/171)
32.4
(24/74)
28.4
(21/74)
Spain
Sri Lanka3
9.6
-
2001
-
30.0
-
2003
-
Sudan
-
-
-
-
-
Program for Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE)
2004/05
-
2006
2004
2005/06
2005/06
-
South Korea
2006
2004/05
-
-
78.4
(1,439,297/1,836,649)
9.0
(132,000/1,463,000)
-
South Africa
-
2005/06
25.0
(6/24)
70.8
(46/65)
49.0
(52/107)
2000
2007/08
Slovenia
2003
-
37.1
12.5
(1/8)
(N/A /239,000)
9.8
(20,098/ 204,082)
2.6
(3,552/136,990)
4.1
(30,000/730,000)
80.1
(2,565,888/3,204,036)
Serbia
Slovak
Republic
-
89.5
(1,431/1,599)
70.8
(315/445)
66.7
(110/165)
55.2
(37/67)
38.2
(409/1,071)
96.0
(48/50)
49.3
(33/67)
45.0
(9/20)
27.6
(8/29)
(80.7
(96/119)
87.0
(280/322)
Senegal
10.9
(4,140/38,040)
2005/06
2002
2004
2006
2001
2004
2006/07
2000
Page 7
Sweden4
Switzerland
7.3
(30,476/414,657)
-
2003
-
2006/07
Thailand
71.9
19.4
(12,400/64,052)
9.9
(173,007/1,750,777)
Turkey
5.8
2005/06
65.8
65.6
21/32
47.0
(70/149)
26.1
(30/115)
UAE8
-
-
-
Taiwan
Tanzania
Vietnam
15.1
(17,060/113,060)
10.5
(237,100/2,264,767)
0.0
(0/2,336,111)
26.1
(4,757,348/18,248,128)
11.7
(14,426/123,139)
41.6
10.4
(137,760/1,319,754)
Yemen10
-
Uganda
Ukraine
United
Kingdom
United
States9
Uruguay
Venezuela
2004
40.0
(24/60)
-
2007
2003/04
2003
2006
85.2
(23/27)
17.6
(175/997)
2005
61.3
(2,667/4,352)
22.2
(14/63)
56.8
12.6
(29/230)
-
-
2007
2007
2004
Program for Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE)
2005
-
-
-
2004
66.8
2004
2006/07
-
-
2007
16.8
2001
2005/06
5.8
2005/06
-
-
2003/04
17.6
(3/17)
64.1
62.0
(13/21)
2006/07
2004
2006/07
2005/06
-
28.3
26.1
(30/115)
66.7
(6/9)
-
-
-
-
2003
-
-
-
-
-
2003
2005
38.4
(4,463,537/11,630,198)
15.0
(14,273/95,396)
21.7
0.7
(1/139)
75.6
(2,022/2,675)
73.3
(11/15)
55.1
2005
-
-
-
-
-
2007/08
2007
2007
2004
60.0
(3/5)
2003
2006
2006
2007/08
2003
2005
2006
Page 8
Zimbabwe
4.5
(1,797/39,797)
Total*****
31.3
(34,943,443/111,773,28
4)
Zambia
2003/04
41.7
(5/12)
55.7
-
0
2001
0
2001
2003/04
-
-
-
-
(30,555/54,866
)
*
This global table derives mostly from PROPHE’s four regional tables: Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. The major exception is
inclusion of the United States here. There is also inclusion of five Middle Eastern countries not shown in Africa or any other regional
table, but the data are sparse for Middle Eastern countries, many of which have just opened private institutions, and the region’s overall
higher education numbers mostly remain small. The only countries we show here are Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Yemen, and
among them only Oman shows substantial data.
**
Although the data come from the most reliable sources found—usually official sources—criteria and inclusiveness both vary greatly
across countries and regions, so comparisons should be drawn only with caution. For example, the meaning of higher education,
university, and tertiary education varies. In some databases, only accredited or at least licensed institutions are counted; in others, the
figures are more broadly inclusive. There are also differences in how to count enrolments and in many other respects. Further details and
caveats see PROPHE’s four regional tables. Attention to such matters is keener in PROPHE’s in-depth data work on individual countries.
See http://www.albany.edu/dept/eaps/prophe/data/national.html.
*** Except for some pre-2000 data on several African countries. Also, in some cases no date is noted. For sources and comments on
individual countries from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, see the pertinent regional tables.
**** For the following countries, on which we have no other data, the World Bank, Accelerating Catch-up: Tertiary education for growth in
Sub-Saharan Africa, Washington, D.C, 2009, gives the following figures for the number of private HEIs: Angola 7, Burkina Faso 4, Cape
Verde 1, Central African Republic 4, Guinea 1, Liberia 3, Malawi 0, Mali 2, Mauritania 0, Namibia 1, Niger 0, Rwanda 12, and Togo 22.
Program for Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE)
Page 9
***** If we sum all the enrolment data for Latin America, we get a private share of 48.2 %, but caution is required as national data range from
2002 to 2007 and we lack Bolivian enrolments. The private regional Latin America enrolment share was 46.6% in 2003; according to
IESALC-UNESCO (2006), Informe sobre la Educación Superior en América Latina y El Caribe 2000-2005: La metamorfosis de la
educación superior, Caracas. If we sum all the enrolment data for Asia, we get a private share of 36.4%, excluding countries and regions
where either private enrolments or total enrolments are not available. If we sum all the enrolment data for Africa, we get a private share
of 14.6%, excluding Benin, Chad, Ethiopia and Ivory Coast, countries and regions where either private enrolments or total enrolments are
not available. If we sum all the enrolment data for Europe, we get a private share of 16.0%, excluding countries and regions where either
private enrolments or total enrolments are not available, such as Austria, Ireland, Spain and Turkey. If we take the enrollment data drawn
from the regional tables (48% for Latin America, 36.4% for Asia, 16.0% for Europe, and 14.6% for Africa), and if we weigh in the U.S.A.
at 26.1%, we get a private share of total global higher education as 31.3%.
If we sum all the institutional data for Latin America, we get a private share of 71.3 %, excluding countries and regions where either
private institutions or total institutions are not available, such as Cuba and Peru. If we sum all the institutional data for Asia, we get a
private share of 57.8 %, excluding countries and regions where either private institutions or total institutions are not available, such as
Afghanistan, Maldives, and Nepal. If we sum all the institutional data for Africa, we get a private share of 59.2 %, excluding countries
and regions where either private institutions or total institutions are not available, such as Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo. If we
sum all the institutional data for Europe, we get a private share of 25.7 %, excluding countries and regions where either private institutions
or total institutions are not available, such as Austria and Belgium. If we take the institution data drawn from the regional tables (71.3%
for Latin America, 57.8% for Asia, 25.7% for Europe, and 59.2% for Africa), and if we weigh in the U.S.A. at 61.3%, we get a private
share of total global higher education institutions as 55.7%.
1
For the Latin American countries, data include undergraduate and graduate enrolment, except for Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Venezuela
where only undergraduate is depicted.
2
University centers, university institutions or university institutes count within the university sector for Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay.
Program for Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE)
Page 10
3
Although some numbers are shown by sources, they are not solid enough to place in the table, particularly in regard to inconsistency about what is
counted as higher education.
4
For several West European countries, there is great ambiguity on what is private. The OECD and Eurydice databases refer to public institutions
and to independent private and also to government-dependent private institutions. The latter two types may be legally private, administered by nongovernment agencies such as churches, businesses, trade unions, or other bodies. Yet only the independent privates normally are seen as functionally
private within the country. According to both databases, the difference between independent private institutions and government-dependent private
institutions lies in the degree of core funding a private institution gets from government. If an institution receives 50% or more of its core funding
from the government, it is considered government-dependent; in turn, if an institution receives less than 50% of its core funding from the
government, it is counted as independent private institution. In each case we put the inclusive private figure into the table and then give the
independent private figure in the note to that country. PROPHE’s general preference is to list and count as private whatever is legally private and to
count as public whatever is legally public—and then explore empirically what these institutions are like in practice. Additionally, many
government-dependent institutions are more autonomous (or “private”) in government than are public institutions, and, in any event, the 50% core
funding mark is somewhat arbitrary. Still, in the interest of full information, we show separately both the total private figure (in the table) and the
independent private share (in the notes).
5
AL-Omari, Aieman. and Obeidat, Osamha. University Missions/Goals in the Context of Globalization: Public and Private
Institutions in the Middle East. International Journal of Private Higher Education 2006 (1): http://www.xaiu.edu.cn/xaiujournal/.
6
Sources: Ministry of Education, Oman www.moe.gov.om. For the number of the university, Al-Lamki, Salma M. and Qaboos, Sultan. The
Development of Private Higher Education in the Sultanate of Oman: Perception and Analysis. International Journal of Private Higher Education
2006 (1), [online] available at http://www.xaiu.edu.cn/xaiujournal/.
7
Provided by Yussra Jamjoom.
8
AL-Omari, Aieman. and Obeidat, Osamha, 2006.
9
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Digest of Education Statistics: 2008. For enrollments:
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d08/tables/dt08_189.asp?referrer=list; For institutions:
Program for Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE)
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http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d08/tables/dt08_265.asp?referrer=list; Also see PROPHE’s U.S. case online at
http://www.albany.edu/dept/eaps/prophe/data/countrydata.html.
10
AL-Omari, Aieman. and Obeidat, Osamha, 2006.
Program for Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE)
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