Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Enrolment in primary education, both sexes was 15.93 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
15.93 million
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
9th
of 218 countries
All-time high
20.42 million
in 2020
All-time low
655,427
in 1971
Years of data
50
1971–2024
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Ethiopia recorded 15.93 million for enrolment in primary education, both sexes in 2024.
The figure is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia peaked at 20.42 million in 2020 and was at its lowest, 655,427, in 1971.
That places Ethiopia 9th out of 218 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 655,427 | — |
| 1972 | 716,729 | +9.4% |
| 1973 | 762,686 | +6.4% |
| 1974 | 859,831 | +12.7% |
| 1975 | 959,822 | +11.6% |
| 1976 | 1.08 million | +13.0% |
| 1977 | 1.18 million | +8.5% |
| 1978 | 1.14 million | -2.8% |
| 1979 | 1.38 million | +20.5% |
| 1980 | 1.81 million | +31.5% |
| 1981 | 2.13 million | +17.6% |
| 1982 | 2.37 million | +11.4% |
| 1983 | 2.51 million | +5.8% |
| 1984 | 2.50 million | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 2.41 million | -3.6% |
| 1986 | 2.45 million | +1.7% |
| 1987 | 2.74 million | +11.8% |
| 1988 | 2.88 million | +5.4% |
| 1989 | 2.86 million | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 2.66 million | -6.8% |
| 1991 | 2.47 million | -7.4% |
| 1992 | 2.06 million | -16.3% |
| 1993 | 1.86 million | -10.1% |
| 1994 | 2.28 million | +23.0% |
| 1995 | 2.72 million | +19.2% |
| 1996 | 3.38 million | +24.2% |
| 1997 | 4.01 million | +18.6% |
| 1998 | 5.09 million | +27.1% |
| 1999 | 5.17 million | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 5.85 million | +13.2% |
| 2001 | 6.65 million | +13.7% |
| 2002 | 7.21 million | +8.5% |
| 2003 | 7.62 million | +5.7% |
| 2004 | 8.27 million | +8.5% |
| 2005 | 10.02 million | +21.2% |
| 2006 | 10.97 million | +9.5% |
| 2007 | 12.17 million | +11.0% |
| 2008 | 13.38 million | +9.9% |
| 2009 | 13.57 million | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 13.64 million | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 13.49 million | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 14.53 million | +7.7% |
| 2014 | 15.73 million | +8.3% |
| 2015 | 16.20 million | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 17.93 million | +10.7% |
| 2020 | 20.42 million | +13.9% |
| 2021 | 18.45 million | -9.7% |
| 2022 | 15.52 million | -15.9% |
| 2023 | 15.55 million | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 15.93 million | +2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 970,706 | 655,427 | 1.38 million | 9 |
| 1980s | 2.47 million | 1.81 million | 2.88 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.17 million | 1.86 million | 5.17 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.57 million | 5.85 million | 13.57 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.25 million | 13.49 million | 17.93 million | 6 |
| 2020s | 17.17 million | 15.52 million | 20.42 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
- 6 United States 23.83 million compare
- 7 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 21.15 million compare
- 8 Bangladesh 16.69 million compare
- 10 Egypt 15.40 million compare
- 11 Brazil 15.11 million compare
- 12 Mexico 13.19 million compare
More education data for Ethiopia
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.59 million (2015)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 7.33 % change on previous year (2012)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.48 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 10.74 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 587,015 (2014)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 9.64 % change on previous year (2012)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 151,765 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 186,951 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 173,906 (2014)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 14.17 % change on previous year (2012)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia?
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia was 15.93 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 20.42 million in 2020.
- What is the lowest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 655,427 in 1971.
- How does Ethiopia rank for enrolment in primary education, both sexes?
- Ethiopia ranks 9th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 50 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release