More than one in 20 people with a higher education debt owe more than $50,000, analysis of Australian Tax Office data shows.

Of the 2.66 million people with a tertiary education debt hanging over their heads, 6 per cent owed more than $50,000 at the end of the 2015/16 financial year, compared with 2.1 per cent in 2011/12.

Meanwhile, a total of 14,046 people have accrued debts of more than $100,000, compared with 3339 five years ago.

The average HECS/HELP debt has also been steadily increasing at a rate that has outpaced inflation. Debtors owe the government $20,303 on average as of June 30 last year, compared with about $15,000 five years ago.