Demographic Transition and its Consequences on University Enrollment in Colombia

Abstract

Demographic transition in Colombia, as well as in the world, has restructured the age composition of the population and has imposed new challenges on various sectors of society. In this paper we analyze this phenomenon and its effects on the demand for higher education and, in particular, on the university population. Through the analysis of census data, records of the Saber 11 tests and data from the National Information System for Higher Education (SNIES in spanish), we find a decrease in both the size of the cohorts of students entering and completing high school as well as the demand for higher education. The argument that explains these facts, which also differ between regions, revolves around the decline in fertility in Colombia.