Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Benin
Benin: Share of children who are not in pre-primary school was 23.5% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Benin, 2003–2018
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2018, share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Benin stood at 23.5%.
The figure is up 21.5% on the previous year and down 69.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Benin peaked at 80.4% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 19.3%, in 2016.
Benin ranks 62nd of 179 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Benin, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 80.4% | — |
| 2004 | 79.8% | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 77.7% | -2.6% |
| 2011 | 37.2% | -52.2% |
| 2012 | 43.9% | +18.0% |
| 2016 | 19.3% | -55.9% |
| 2018 | 23.5% | +21.5% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 23.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 34.1%, 69% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
- Benin's 23.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43.8%, 54% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 79.3% | 77.7% | 80.4% | 3 |
| 2010s | 31.0% | 19.3% | 43.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More education data for Benin
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 57,296 (2022)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 209,295 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 85,495 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 84,746 (2022)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 929,099 (2022)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.40 million (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 5.18 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1743 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Benin?
- Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Benin was 23.5% in 2018, 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 Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 80.4% in 2003.
- What is the lowest share of children who are not in pre-primary school recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.3% in 2016.
- How does Benin rank for share of children who are not in pre-primary school?
- Benin ranks 62nd out of 179 countries with data for 2018.
- Is share of children who are not in pre-primary school rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is down 69.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Benin 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.