Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number) in Netherlands
Netherlands: Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number) was 1.14 million in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.14 million
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
81st
of 218 countries
All-time high
1.46 million
in 1972
All-time low
1.04 million
in 1992
Years of data
51
1971–2023
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Netherlands, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Netherlands stood at 1.14 million.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and down 10.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Netherlands peaked at 1.46 million in 1972 and was at its lowest, 1.04 million, in 1992.
That places Netherlands 81st out of 218 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number) in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1.46 million | — |
| 1972 | 1.46 million | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 1.46 million | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 1.45 million | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 1.45 million | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 1.45 million | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 1.45 million | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 1.43 million | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 1.41 million | -1.5% |
| 1980 | 1.38 million | -2.4% |
| 1981 | 1.33 million | -3.4% |
| 1982 | 1.27 million | -4.8% |
| 1983 | 1.20 million | -5.4% |
| 1984 | 1.14 million | -5.1% |
| 1985 | 1.09 million | -3.9% |
| 1986 | 1.11 million | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 1.10 million | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 1.09 million | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 1.09 million | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 1.08 million | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 1.08 million | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 1.04 million | -3.9% |
| 1993 | 1.05 million | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 1.17 million | +12.1% |
| 1995 | 1.19 million | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 1.21 million | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 1.23 million | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 1.25 million | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 1.27 million | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 1.28 million | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 1.28 million | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 1.29 million | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 1.29 million | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 1.28 million | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 1.28 million | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 1.28 million | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 1.28 million | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 1.29 million | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 1.29 million | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 1.29 million | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 1.29 million | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 1.28 million | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 1.21 million | -5.4% |
| 2016 | 1.19 million | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 1.18 million | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 1.18 million | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 1.17 million | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 1.16 million | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 1.15 million | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 1.14 million | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 1.14 million | +0.1% |
Netherlands compared with similar countries
- Netherlands's 1.14 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 236,668, 4.8× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Netherlands's 1.14 million is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 432,238, 2.6× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.45 million | 1.41 million | 1.46 million | 9 |
| 1980s | 1.18 million | 1.09 million | 1.38 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.16 million | 1.04 million | 1.27 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.28 million | 1.28 million | 1.29 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.22 million | 1.17 million | 1.29 million | 8 |
| 2020s | 1.15 million | 1.14 million | 1.16 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
More education data for Netherlands
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 118,472 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 23,856 (1985)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 247,743 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 240,049 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.61 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.14 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.0937 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.064 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Netherlands?
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Netherlands was 1.14 million in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 1.46 million in 1972.
- What is the lowest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.04 million in 1992.
- How does Netherlands rank for enrolment in primary education, both sexes?
- Netherlands ranks 81st out of 218 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Netherlands 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