Indonesia's Higher Education Participation Rate Still Lags Behind Thailand and Malaysia

The Gross Participation Rate (GPR) in higher education is crucial for a nation's competitiveness in the globalized world. Unfortunately, Indonesia's higher education GPR remains relatively low.

Indonesia's higher education GPR lags behind several neighboring countries. According to World Bank data from 2020, the higher education GPR in Singapore reached 91 percent, Thailand 49 percent, and Malaysia 43 percent.

By province, the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) reports that the Special Region of Yogyakarta has the highest higher education GPR, nearing 75 percent. This is followed by Maluku and Southeast Sulawesi with GPRs of 48.36 percent and 44.77 percent, respectively.

A total of 15 provinces, or 44.12 percent, have a higher education GPR below the national average. This includes three major provinces on Java Island, which have relatively adequate higher education facilities compared to eastern Indonesia.

East Java has only 29.96 percent of its 19-23 year-old population enrolled in higher education, while West Java has 25.83 percent, and Central Java 23.86 percent. The GPR of these three provinces is even lower than Banten, which reached 32.51 percent.

The low participation rate in higher education remains a challenge for the government in its efforts to develop a superior and competitive human resource base.

(read: This is the Province with the Lowest National Higher Education Participation Rate in 2021)