Children out of school in Palestine

Palestine: Children out of school was 9.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
9.6%
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
53rd
of 196 countries
All-time high
12.3%
in 2007
All-time low
3.7%
in 2017
Years of data
25
1999–2023

Children out of school in Palestine, 1999–2023

46810121999201120231999: 10.2 % of primary school age2000: 7.5 % of primary school age2001: 8 % of primary school age2002: 6.7 % of primary school age2003: 6.7 % of primary school age2004: 7.1 % of primary school age2005: 9.9 % of primary school age2006: 11.2 % of primary school age2007: 12.3 % of primary school age2008: 10.6 % of primary school age2009: 9.5 % of primary school age2010: 8.6 % of primary school age2011: 8.5 % of primary school age2012: 6.4 % of primary school age2013: 6.6 % of primary school age2014: 5.5 % of primary school age2015: 5.3 % of primary school age2016: 4.9 % of primary school age2017: 3.7 % of primary school age2018: 4.6 % of primary school age2019: 5.5 % of primary school age2020: 6.5 % of primary school age2021: 8.2 % of primary school age2022: 9.5 % of primary school age2023: 9.6 % of primary school age

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of primary school age.

Analysis

Palestine recorded 9.6% for children out of school in 2023.

That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 45.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, children out of school in Palestine peaked at 12.3% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 2017.

Palestine ranks 53rd of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.

Children out of school in Palestine, year by year

Annual values for Children out of school (% of primary school age) in Palestine, 1999 to 2023.
Year % of primary school age Change
1999 10.2%
2000 7.5% -26.1%
2001 8.0% +6.1%
2002 6.7% -15.6%
2003 6.7% -1.4%
2004 7.1% +7.1%
2005 9.9% +38.9%
2006 11.2% +13.6%
2007 12.3% +9.4%
2008 10.6% -13.4%
2009 9.5% -10.9%
2010 8.6% -9.4%
2011 8.5% -1.0%
2012 6.4% -24.8%
2013 6.6% +2.7%
2014 5.5% -16.4%
2015 5.3% -2.8%
2016 4.9% -8.4%
2017 3.7% -23.6%
2018 4.6% +24.3%
2019 5.5% +19.2%
2020 6.5% +16.6%
2021 8.2% +27.3%
2022 9.5% +15.5%
2023 9.6% +0.5%

Palestine compared with similar countries

  • Palestine's 9.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.9%, 1.4× the median. (45 countries reporting)
  • Palestine's 9.6% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 4.0%, 2.4× the median. (20 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 10.2% 10.2% 10.2% 1
2000s 9.0% 6.7% 12.3% 10
2010s 6.0% 3.7% 8.6% 10
2020s 8.4% 6.5% 9.6% 4

Countries ranked near Palestine

  1. 50 Bhutan 10.5% compare
  2. 51 Laos 10.4% compare
  3. 52 Benin 9.6% compare
  4. 54 Bolivia 9.3% compare
  5. 55 Sri Lanka 9.1% compare
  6. 56 Kiribati 8.7% compare

See the full ranking of 201 places →

More education data for Palestine

All data for Palestine →

Frequently asked questions

What is children out of school in Palestine?
Children out of school in Palestine was 9.6% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest children out of school recorded in Palestine?
The highest recorded value was 12.3% in 2007.
What is the lowest children out of school recorded in Palestine?
The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 2017.
How does Palestine rank for children out of school?
Palestine ranks 53rd out of 196 countries with data for 2023.
Is children out of school rising or falling in Palestine?
Over the last ten years it is up 45.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Palestine data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Children out of school (% of primary school age). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Children out of school in Palestine. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/children-out-of-school-percent-of-primary-school-age/west-bank-and-gaza/

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About this data

Indicator
Children out of school (% of primary school age)
Unit
% of primary school age
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
201 places, 4,722 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Children out of school are the percentage of primary-school-age children who are not enrolled in primary or secondary school. Children in the official primary age group that are in preprimary education should be considered out of school.