Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Belize
Belize: Share of children who are not in pre-primary school was 23.5% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Belize, 1999–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Belize is 23.5%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 49.9% on the previous year and up 218.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Belize peaked at 55.8% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 7.4%, in 2014.
That places Belize 61st out of 179 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Belize, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 38.4% | — |
| 2000 | 45.3% | +17.9% |
| 2001 | 38.3% | -15.4% |
| 2003 | 42.3% | +10.3% |
| 2004 | 39.2% | -7.1% |
| 2005 | 27.8% | -29.3% |
| 2006 | 26.2% | -5.4% |
| 2007 | 25.5% | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 24.3% | -5.0% |
| 2009 | 19.9% | -18.1% |
| 2010 | 20.5% | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 16.8% | -17.9% |
| 2012 | 14.9% | -11.6% |
| 2013 | 11.0% | -26.0% |
| 2014 | 7.4% | -33.0% |
| 2015 | 9.8% | +32.7% |
| 2016 | 9.7% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 11.6% | +20.2% |
| 2018 | 12.0% | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 15.1% | +26.3% |
| 2020 | 13.5% | -11.1% |
| 2021 | 55.8% | +314.7% |
| 2022 | 50.8% | -9.0% |
| 2023 | 46.9% | -7.7% |
| 2024 | 23.5% | -49.9% |
Belize compared with similar countries
- Belize's 23.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 14.6%, 1.6× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Belize's 23.5% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 6.5%, 3.6× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Belize changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +314.7% | 13.5% | 55.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 38.4% | 38.4% | 38.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 32.1% | 19.9% | 45.3% | 9 |
| 2010s | 12.9% | 7.4% | 20.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.1% | 13.5% | 55.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belize
More education data for Belize
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2,319 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 2,390 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 3,316 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 3,346 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 38,323 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 44,757 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.0671 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1073 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Belize?
- Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Belize was 23.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children who are not in pre-primary school recorded in Belize?
- The highest recorded value was 55.8% in 2021.
- What is the lowest share of children who are not in pre-primary school recorded in Belize?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.4% in 2014.
- How does Belize rank for share of children who are not in pre-primary school?
- Belize ranks 61st out of 179 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children who are not in pre-primary school rising or falling in Belize?
- Over the last ten years it is up 218.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Belize data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children who are not in pre-primary school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Children one year before the official primary entry age (typically age 5) not enrolled in pre-primary education, expressed as a percentage of all children in that age group.