Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Enrolment in primary education, both sexes was 16.69 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
16.69 million
Change on year
up 2.7%
World rank
8th
of 218 countries
All-time high
17.60 million
in 2020
All-time low
5.04 million
in 1971
Years of data
34
1970–2024
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Bangladesh, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Bangladesh stood at 16.69 million.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.7% on the previous year and down 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Bangladesh peaked at 17.60 million in 2020 and was at its lowest, 5.04 million, in 1971.
Bangladesh ranks 8th of 218 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 5.28 million | — |
| 1971 | 5.04 million | -4.6% |
| 1972 | 6.42 million | +27.3% |
| 1973 | 7.79 million | +21.5% |
| 1974 | 7.75 million | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 8.35 million | +7.8% |
| 1976 | 8.67 million | +3.9% |
| 1977 | 8.23 million | -5.1% |
| 1978 | 8.22 million | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 8.24 million | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 8.24 million | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 8.29 million | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 8.40 million | +1.4% |
| 1983 | 8.81 million | +4.9% |
| 1984 | 8.92 million | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 8.92 million | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 9.12 million | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 9.21 million | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 11.08 million | +20.3% |
| 1989 | 11.29 million | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 11.94 million | +5.8% |
| 2005 | 16.22 million | +35.8% |
| 2006 | 16.40 million | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 16.31 million | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 16.00 million | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 16.54 million | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 16.99 million | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 17.20 million | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 17.34 million | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 17.60 million | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 16.96 million | -3.6% |
| 2022 | 17.16 million | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 16.25 million | -5.3% |
| 2024 | 16.69 million | +2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.40 million | 5.04 million | 8.67 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.23 million | 8.24 million | 11.29 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.94 million | 11.94 million | 11.94 million | 1 |
| 2000s | 16.29 million | 16.00 million | 16.54 million | 5 |
| 2010s | 17.17 million | 16.99 million | 17.34 million | 3 |
| 2020s | 16.93 million | 16.25 million | 17.60 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More education data for Bangladesh
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 571,690 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 387,056 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.77 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 16.69 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0961 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Bangladesh?
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Bangladesh was 16.69 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 17.60 million in 2020.
- What is the lowest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.04 million in 1971.
- How does Bangladesh rank for enrolment in primary education, both sexes?
- Bangladesh ranks 8th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release