Recognised as strong contributors to the development of knowledge-based, cohesive societies, higher education has undergone rapid massification and diversification in recent decades. Global enrolment in higher education doubled since the turn of the millennium and numbers will continue to rise in the years to come. Along this rapid expansion, higher education has become more diverse, in terms of types of institutions and programmes, study orientations and qualifications, and delivery modalities. This diversification has also led in many countries to the fragmentation of the higher education sector. With a view of strengthening equity and lifelong learning, the international Education 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 put major emphasis on flexible learning pathways, in the form of entry points and re-entry points at all ages and all educational levels. In response to this topic, UNESCO-IIEP launched an international research project, titled ‘SDG4: Planning for Flexible Learning Pathways in Higher Education’, with the aim to produce knowledge and provide evidence-based policy advice to ministries of (higher) education in different development contexts who are considering building or strengthening flexible learning pathways as an area of reform. An international survey to ministries of (higher) education from all UNESCO member states was conducted as part of this research to collect baseline information on existing policies, instruments and practices.