Children out of school, primary in Nepal
Nepal: Children out of school, primary was 21,146 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Children out of school, primary in Nepal, 1983–2025
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
Nepal recorded 21,146 for children out of school, primary in 2025.
The figure is down 63.2% on the previous year and down 22.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, children out of school, primary in Nepal peaked at 1.17 million in 1999 and was at its lowest, 7,030, in 2021.
Nepal ranks 92nd of 197 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Children out of school, primary in Nepal, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 912,191 | — |
| 1984 | 903,127 | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 850,134 | -5.9% |
| 1999 | 1.17 million | +38.0% |
| 2000 | 1.02 million | -12.8% |
| 2003 | 839,999 | -17.9% |
| 2004 | 768,111 | -8.6% |
| 2011 | 55,749 | -92.7% |
| 2012 | 40,697 | -27.0% |
| 2014 | 32,146 | -21.0% |
| 2015 | 27,373 | -14.8% |
| 2016 | 13,020 | -52.4% |
| 2017 | 38,642 | +196.8% |
| 2021 | 7,030 | -81.8% |
| 2022 | 18,195 | +158.8% |
| 2023 | 57,234 | +214.6% |
| 2024 | 57,449 | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 21,146 | -63.2% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 21,146 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 76,741, 28% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 21,146 is below the median for South Asia, which is 78,056, 27% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Children out of school, primary in Nepal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | +214.6% | 18,195 | 57,234 |
| 2017 | +196.8% | 13,020 | 38,642 |
| 2022 | +158.8% | 7,030 | 18,195 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 888,484 | 850,134 | 912,191 | 3 |
| 1990s | 1.17 million | 1.17 million | 1.17 million | 1 |
| 2000s | 877,047 | 768,111 | 1.02 million | 3 |
| 2010s | 34,604 | 13,020 | 55,749 | 6 |
| 2020s | 32,211 | 7,030 | 57,449 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More education data for Nepal
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 124,257 (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 263,796 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 752,326 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 609,324 (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.67 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.57 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.31 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1204 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is children out of school, primary in Nepal?
- Children out of school, primary in Nepal was 21,146 in 2025, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest children out of school, primary recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 1.17 million in 1999.
- What is the lowest children out of school, primary recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 7,030 in 2021.
- How does Nepal rank for children out of school, primary?
- Nepal ranks 92nd out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is children out of school, primary rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nepal data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Children out of school, primary. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 18 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Children out of school are the number of primary-school-age children not enrolled in primary or secondary school.