Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in Nepal
Nepal: Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population was 51.3% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in Nepal, 1981–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2021, educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Nepal stood at 51.3%. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.
The figure is up 4.7% on the previous year and up 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Nepal peaked at 51.3% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 17.7%, in 1981.
That places Nepal 94th out of 99 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 17.7% | — |
| 2008 | 51.2% | +189.0% |
| 2016 | 44.5% | -13.0% |
| 2017 | 46.8% | +5.1% |
| 2019 | 49.0% | +4.7% |
| 2021 | 51.3% | +4.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 17.7% | 17.7% | 17.7% | 1 |
| 2000s | 51.2% | 51.2% | 51.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 46.8% | 44.5% | 49.0% | 3 |
| 2020s | 51.3% | 51.3% | 51.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More education data for Nepal
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 3.57 million (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.31 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.1204 units per person (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.69 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Nepal?
- Educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Nepal was 51.3% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 51.3% in 2021.
- What is the lowest educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.7% in 1981.
- How does Nepal rank for educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population?
- Nepal ranks 94th out of 99 countries with data for 2021.
- Is educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nepal data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population 25+ years, urban, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release